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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. Who wrote the following quotation that opens the book: "If they don't see happiness in the picture, at least they'll see the black"?

2. What does the author refer to "doubt" as in Chapter 1?

3. What does the author describe Serena Williams doing during the Women's U.S. Open final in Chapter 2?

4. What tennis tournament have the Williams sisters boycotted since 2001?

5. What is the name of Hennessy Youngman's internet series that the author discusses in Chapter 2?

Short Essay Questions

1. What symbolism can be seen in Chapter 4?

2. How does the author describe Serena Williams's career in 2012?

3. How does the narrator respond when she is called a derogatory name by a friend in Chapter 3?

4. What is symbolized by the imagery on the cover of Citizen: An American Lyric?

5. What is signified and alluded to by the picture of the Rutgers women's basketball team in Chapter 3?

6. Who is Hennessy Youngman and what is discussed regarding him in Chapter 2?

7. How is the theme of memory addressed in Chapter 4?

8. What realization does the author reach in Chapter 3?

9. What happens in the narrative at the Catholic school in Chapter 1?

10. What theme predominates Chapter 2 of Citizen: An American Lyric?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How does the author use sunglasses as a symbolic image in the book? What do the sunglasses represent? How are they a metaphor for prejudice and/or overlooking prejudice?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the events surrounding the Rodney King beating and the ensuing riots. What led to Rodney King's beating? How were these events presented in the media? How did the Rodney King beating influence race relations in the U.S.?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the scenario in Chapter 7 with the white woman and black man on the bus. What realization does the woman reach in this story? How is her realization a metaphor for society? What is the outcome of this scenario?

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