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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 "The Third Pillar: Endogamy and the Control of Marriage and Mating," what does Wilkerson imply was the reason for the prosecution of Hugh Davis?

2. In "An American Untouchable," how does the high school principal in India refer to Martin Luther King'?

3. In "Pillar Number Six: Dehumanization and Stigma," what is the best definition of the word "stigma"?

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

5. In the page 15 sentence "An old house is its own kind of devotional, a dowager aunt with a story to be coaxed out of her," the idea that the house has a story to tell is an example of what literary technique?

Short Essay Questions

1. According to Wilkerson, what relationship exists between immigration or transportation to America and "becoming" white or Black?

2. In "Pillar Number Four: Purity versus Pollution," what claim does Wilkerson make about water, and how does she support her claim?

3. What explanation does Wilkerson give of the justification for slavery in Christian scriptures in "Pillar Number One: Divine Will and the Laws of Nature"?

4. According to Wilkerson, how did slavery create the conditions for American stereotypes about Black people?

5. 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?

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

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

8. In "'The Container We Have Built for You,'" how does "Miss" end up with her unusual first name?

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

10. Explain the analogy that Wilkerson makes between caste and a play.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

On page 388, Wilkerson says "We are responsible for our own ignorance or, with time and openhearted enlightenment, our own wisdom. We are responsible for ourselves and our own deeds or misdeeds in our time and in our own space and will be judged accordingly by succeeding generations.” Write an essay in which you explain her meaning and in which you defend, refute, or qualify this statement. Offer textual support for your claims and cite any outside 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 your own argument of definition. You may write on any topic you choose, as long as you create a tenable thesis. Be sure to cite any sources in MLA format.

(see the answer keys)

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