View a FREE sample

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

Short Answer Questions

1. In "Chapter Twenty-Six: Turning Point and the Resurgence of Caste," Wilkerson uses the term "kitchen table appeals" (327). What kinds of appeals are these?

2. In the conference described in "Chapter Ten: Central Miscasting," what difficulty does Wilkerson face?

3. In "Chapter Twenty: The Inevitable Narcissism of Caste," what does Wilkerson say is the cause of phenomena like an Iranian immigrant feeling moved to point out the existence of a blond-haired child somewhere in the family?

4. In "Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Symbols of Caste," what does Wilkerson describe at the site of the bunker where Hitler died?

5. In "Chapter Twenty: The Inevitable Narcissism of Caste," to which narcissistic family role does Wilkerson compare indigenous peoples?

Short Essay Questions

1. In "Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Symbols of Caste," why does Wilkerson devote so much space to a discussion of Robert E. Lee's treatment of people he held as slaves?

2. In "Chapter Twenty-Six: Turning Point and the Resurgence of Caste," whom does Wilkerson call the most loyal voters of the Republican Party, and how does the party treat them, according to her?

3. In "Chapter Twenty-Six: Turning Point and the Resurgence of Caste," what does Wilkerson say about understanding the voting of lower-class whites?

4. When an Indian academic asks Wilkerson, in "Central Miscasting," what her position is in the American caste system, what does she tell him, and why?

5. In "Chapter Sixteen: Last Place Anxiety: Packed in a Flooding Basement," what is the "crabs in a barrel" phenomenon Wilkerson discusses, and what additional way to look at the same situation does she propose?

6. Explain what Erich Fromm says about group narcissism, as described by Wilkerson in "Chapter Twenty: The Inevitable Narcissism of Caste."

7. Who was Satchel Paige, and what does his life story illustrate about race in America?

8. "Chapter Seventeen: On the Early Front Lines of Caste" tells the story of Allison Davis's early career. Who was he, and what important work did he contribute to scholarship about race in America?

9. In "Chapter Fourteen: The Intrusion of Caste in Everyday Life," what is the rhetorical purpose of including the anecdote about the father and toddler in the restaurant?

10. In "Chapter Sixteen: Last Place Anxiety: Packed in a Flooding Basement," what idea does Wilkerson use the story of Freddie Gray to illustrate?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay that defends, refutes, or qualifies the following claim: "In Caste: The Origins of our Discontents, Isabel Wilkerson is not arguing against social hierarchies but rather against assigning a place within the hierarchy based on race." Use textual evidence to support your argument; if you use outside sources, be sure to cite them 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 trace the "journey" to inclusion among the "White" caste of an immigrant group whose status was questionable at one time in American history (the Irish, Italians, etc.). In the second part of your essay, consider how this information either supports, refutes, or qualifies Wilkerson's work. Use textual evidence to support your claims. Be sure to cite your sources in MLA format.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,365 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample