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This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Section 2: "Part Two: The Arbitrary Construction of Human Divisions".

Multiple Choice Questions

1. In "Through the Fog of Delhi to the Parallels in India and America," what is the rhetorical purpose of including the detail of the fog that Wilkerson sees when her plane lands?
(a) Wilkerson is metaphorically challenging the reader to reason past a "fog" of propaganda.
(b) It symbolizes the difficulty of seeing the Indian social system clearly.
(c) Wilkerson personifies the fog in an analogy that demonstrates how tradition "clouds" an understanding of present realities.
(d) It foreshadows the difficulties Wilkerson will have in gaining cooperation during her visit.

2. On page 11, what does Wilkerson indicate the term "evangelical voters" is code for?
(a) Rural.
(b) White.
(c) Working class.
(d) Bible Belt.

3. On page 15, Wilkerson says of the old house that "whatever is lurking will fester." What is especially apt about her choice of the word "fester"?
(a) Its sibilance is part of an alliterative pattern.
(b) It has a lighter and more comic "sound" than the synonyms Wilkerson might have chosen.
(c) It has meanings that can be applied to both literal structures and to abstract structures.
(d) Its connotations evoke the idea of a swamp or mire.

4. On page 6, Wilkerson refers to white "preeminence." What quality is she referring to?
(a) Having the highest rank or position.
(b) Using language and mannerisms that indicate superiority.
(c) Unjustified rage.
(d) Devotion to tradition or already existing institutions.

5. In "Chapter Five: 'The Container We Have Built for You,'" why does Harold Hale's daughter get called into her principal's office?
(a) For holding hands with a White boy.
(b) For using walkie-talkies with her friends.
(c) For telling a teacher to call her by her last name.
(d) For asking to be moved to a more advanced class.

Short Answer Questions

1. In "A Long-Running Play and the Emergence of Caste in America," where does Wilkerson say that the American caste system was born?

2. What is the name of Gunnar Myrdal's 1944 study of race in America?

3. In "A Long-Running Play and the Emergence of Caste in America," what does the Nigerian playwright tell Wilkerson about Blacks in Africa?

4. In "A Long-Running Play and the Emergence of Caste in America," what does Wilkerson say Americans want to dismiss as a "sad, dark chapter" of American history (43)?

5. According to Wilkerson's explanation on page 9, why did Democrats hesitate to impeach Trump?

(see the answer key)

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