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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 is Nillmon's profession?

2. What are Tate and his friends afraid of when they stop at the abandoned house with the well?

3. In "Goodbye, Sweetwater," where does Layton live?

4. What does Mack do to himself at the end of the story?

5. What state does Layton live in?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Layton Bridges generally feel in "Goodbye, Sweetwater"?

2. What are Layton Fields' aspirations in "A Boll of Roses"?

3. What happens to the white people who talk their way into the club to hear Probe in "Will the Circle Be Unbroken"?

4. In "Ark of Bones," what is Headeye known for?

5. What does Layton's flower in "A Boll of Roses" symbolize?

6. In "Double Nigger," what are the characters desperate for?

7. Where does Headeye go in "Ark of Bones" at the end of the story?

8. In "Fon," what hits Nillmon's car?

9. What is Bubba's main objective in "The Crossing"?

10. Why does Mack hurt himself at the end of "A Harlem Game"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Though many of Dumas's characters in the collection are oppressed and terribly wronged, many others exhibit power, wit, and strength. Write an essay discussing the sources of Dumas's characters' dominance where and when it exists.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay analyzing Dumas's incorporation of the themes of activism, unity, and the interplay between the past and present in the context of Black history in America in the story "Riot or Revolt."

Essay Topic 3

If you knew nothing about Dumas's biographical background and only read this collection, what would your impression as a reader be about his perception of police in general in the United States? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 496 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample