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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 instrument does Elisha play?

2. What is John worried about as he enters the movie theater?

3. What does John excel at?

4. What does Gabriel use to whip Roy?

5. Who does Florence kneel with at the altar?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happened to Elizabeth when she was eight years old?

2. What does John think about his mother and father's relationship?

3. What vision does John have about Gabriel?

4. What reason does Florence give for her mother being religious?

5. What did Florence not like about Frank?

6. How does Gabriel react if one of his children goes against the church's moral code?

7. What does John sense about his father's feelings in this section?

8. What sound does John say he hears?

9. What was Richard like when Elizabeth first met him?

10. Why is Gabriel's past important to John?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Examine the novel's chronological setting.

1) What were the main concerns during the 1950s. How does Baldwin express these concerns?

2) In what ways do you think the novels meaning would change if it was set in today's society?

Essay Topic 2

Examine John's relationship with the following people:

1) Elisha.

2) Gabriel.

3) Elizabeth.

Essay Topic 3

Examine the affects of slavery. How did slavery affect the characters in the book? In what way was someone like John affected differently by slavery than someone like Gabriel? How does the memory of slavery affect African Americans today?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 645 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample