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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. What social trend does Wilkerson link to the 2016 election?

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

3. 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?

4. How many American states had laws officially prohibiting marriage between Blacks and whites?

5. Which leading Black intellectual corresponded with Bhimrao Ambedkar about race in America?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Wilkerson use the colonial census as support for her argument about caste in colonial America?

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. Explain the analogy that Wilkerson makes in "The Vitals of History."

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

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

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

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

8. In "Pillar Number Two: Heritability," what difference does Wilkerson note between the way caste is inherited in India versus the way it was historically inherited in the U.S.?

9. To what cause does Wilkerson ascribe the election of Donald Trump?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Read the essay "Identity Politics: Friend or Foe?" by Alicia Garza (available online). Write an essay that explains the complex ways in which the phenomena Garza discusses relate to Wilkerson's ideas about caste in America. Be sure to use textual evidence from both pieces to support your ideas, and if you use outside sources, cite them in MLA format.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay in which you explore the understanding of Biblical defenses of slavery among Christians in America today; how do they reconcile these passages with a modern world that believes slavery is morally reprehensible? Cite your 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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