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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 was considered to be the murder weapon in James Craig Anderson's death?

2. The author writes in Chapter 6, "In a landscape drawn from an ocean bed, you can't drive yourself" what?

3. When was Trayvon Martin born?

4. What was the song-and-dance caricature of blacks that developed later into the term "Jim Crow" in referring to African Americans?

5. What does the man point out about his wife when he shows the author a picture of her in Chapter 5?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does the author state regarding the Jena Six case in Chapter 6?

2. Why does the author discuss eating cereal in Chapter 5?

3. How does the author compare the Rodney King beating and the death of Mark Duggan in Chapter 6?

4. How is the theme of the pain of prejudice explored in Chapter 6?

5. How does the narrator describe overcoming her inner struggle in the conclusion of Chapter 5?

6. What scenario does the author describe while waiting at a bar of a restaurant in Chapter 5?

7. How does the author juxtapose the reality of Hurrican Katrina victims with their depiction in the media?

8. How is the theme of being forgotten explored in Chapter 6?

9. How does the author's language and narrative style change in Chapter 5?

10. What scenario does the author present when an unnamed man is arrested in Chapter 6?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the theme of identity in Citizen: An American Lyric. How is identity formed? How are African American identities influenced differently than white identities? How does language relate to identity?

Essay Topic 2

Describe the events surrounding Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. How many people died during this natural tragedy? What prevented the victims from receiving help? How does the author characterize the response to Katrina?

Essay Topic 3

Describe and discuss the murder of James Craig Anderson. When and where was James Craig Anderson murdered? Who killed him? How? What were the impacts of James Craig Anderson's murder?

(see the answer keys)

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