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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. In "Chapter Five: 'The Container We Have Built for You,'" what does Harold Hale do when people knock down his mailbox?

2. In the 1863 Draft Riots, what immigrant group perpetrated violence against Blacks?

3. On page 68 of "Chapter Six: The Measure of Humanity," what does Wilkerson say is "one of the most contentious and misunderstood" words in American culture?

4. In "Pillar Number Six: Dehumanization and Stigma," Wilkerson explains that enslaved people were not allowed to cry as their families were separated. What is this meant to serve as an example of?

5. According to Wilkerson, who is at the top of the "ladder of humanity" created by colonists in North America?

Short Essay Questions

1. Explain the titular analogy in "An Old House and an Infrared Light."

2. What is the rhetorical purpose of Wilkerson telling the story about the man who refuses to believe that she works for the New York Times?

3. How does Wilkerson explain the differences between race and caste?

4. What explanation does Wilkerson give of the origins of caste in Hindu scriptures in "Pillar Number One: Divine Will and the Laws of Nature"?

5. In "Pillar Number Six: Dehumanization and Stigma," what similarities does Wilkerson see between the treatment of Blacks in the time of slavery and Jews entering Nazi camps?

6. What is the rhetorical purpose of stressing the length of time that slavery existed in America?

7. What is the rhetorical purpose of including the anecdote about Willie James Howard in "Pillar Number Three: Endogamy and the Control of Marriage and Mating"?

8. In "The Hierarchy of Trace Amounts: Griffes, Marabons, and Sangmelees," what are the words "Griffes, Marabons, and Sangmelees," and what point do they illustrate?

9. According to "A Long-Running Play and the Emergence of Caste in America," what was the original justification for lifetime enslavement, and how did that justification need to change as circumstances changed?

10. According to Wilkerson in "An Old House and an Infrared Light," how are caste systems justified, and what is their real purpose?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay in which you explore modern Indian beliefs about caste. To what extent are they linked to Hinduism? To what extent are they linked to rural versus urban settings? To what extent are they linked to education? How have they changed as the Indian economy has changed? Cite your sources in MLA format.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay in which you apply Wilkerson's discussion of racism from "The R Word" to a current issue in American society. You are not being asked to apply her definition to racism in general, but to a specific event or controversy. Show how her definition is either helpful or not helpful in understanding the current issue you have chosen. Offer textual evidence for your claims, and be sure to cite all sources in MLA format.

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay in which you take and defend a position about whether the sometimes shallow coverage of historical and sociological phenomena in Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents is a weakness in Wilkerson's argument or is merely an effect of her attempt to appeal to a popular audience. Offer textual evidence for your claims, and be sure to cite all sources in MLA format.

(see the answer keys)

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