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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 does Layton do in "A Boll of Roses"?

2. Where does Headeye go at the end of the story?

3. What shacks are supposed to be haunted?

4. Who does Layton live with?

5. What happens to old scout in "Scout"?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. Who is Layton waiting for in "Goodbye, Sweetwater"?

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

4. What does Nillmon intend to do to Fon in "Fon"?

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

6. What do the crew pull out of the water in "Ark of Bones"?

7. What famous tragedy do the characters in "The Crossing" reference?

8. How do the police treat the main characters in "Strike and Fade"?

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How and why does Dumas reference true and significant historical events in America's struggles with racism in the story "The Crossing"? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay analyzing Dumas's descriptions of Harlem in the story "Harlem."

Essay Topic 3

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.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 526 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample