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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 the opening anecdote of the book, what escapes from the melting permafrost?
(a) Nuclear waste.
(b) SARS-CoV-2.
(c) Anthrax.
(d) Mercury.

2. In Wilkerson's anecdote about the house inspector, how does he "see past the plaster" (17)?
(a) By using an x-ray machine.
(b) By using an infrared camera.
(c) By reading the blueprints.
(d) By using his professional experience.

3. According to Wilkerson, what constituency does the Republican Party represent?
(a) People whose first concern is the sovereignty of the United States.
(b) Those who want to protect an older social order that benefits whites.
(c) Progressives and nativists.
(d) Humanitarians and the marginalized.

4. 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) It has a lighter and more comic "sound" than the synonyms Wilkerson might have chosen.
(b) Its connotations evoke the idea of a swamp or mire.
(c) It has meanings that can be applied to both literal structures and to abstract structures.
(d) Its sibilance is part of an alliterative pattern.

5. 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)?
(a) Slavery.
(b) The Jim Crow era.
(c) The Trump presidency.
(d) The Colonial treatment of Blacks.

Short Answer Questions

1. When legislation was finally adopted to limit the workday of enslaved persons, how long did their workday become?

2. In the beginning of "Chapter Six: The Measure of Humanity," what physical characteristic is the basis for Wilkerson's imaginary caste system?

3. In "Chapter Five: 'The Container We Have Built for You,'" what unusual name does Harold Hale give his daughter?

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

5. In "Chapter Six: The Measure of Humanity," what reason does Wilkerson give for most people's participation in the American caste system?

(see the answer key)

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