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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 happened to Nathan that caused him to live a life of celibacy?

2. What kind of Classics teacher is Delphine Roux, the one who helped Coleman Silk with his investigation?

3. At what college did Coleman Silk teach before his hasty departure from the college?

4. What did Coleman recognize in the words as he was trying to write his story without any help?

5. ____________ was also an abstract painter and a poet.

Short Essay Questions

1. What did Coleman do on the day he went to the funeral parlor to make arrangements for a funeral?

2. Why does Coleman go to the lawyer the next day after seeing Farley?

3. What does Ellie do when Coleman reveals to her his racial background?

4. Why were Iris' parents never officially married, though they conceived and raised Iris as their daughter?

5. What does Coleman Silk confess to his neighbor when he is 71 years of age?

6. What did the nice letter that Coleman found in his personal belongings say?

7. How does Coleman reveal his family secret to the woman he loves while he's in college?

8. What does Mr. Silk believe is the most important thing in life, especially for a black man?

9. What is the current and past status of Coleman Silk's employment in this novel?

10. Why did Coleman and Iris marry if they were complete opposites without passion for each other?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The idea of the professor having an affair of sorts with the illiterate janitor is a little bit contrived, some would say.

Part 1: Do you think a professor and a janitor would realistically have an affair with each other? Why or why not?

Part 2: Why do you think Faunia and Coleman are attracted to each other?

Part 3: Do you think that Faunia and Coleman would have had a shot at being together? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

Faunia, to some, seems to be the innocent victim of an older man, but is this really the case?

Part 1: Do you think Faunia is as innocent as she wants to be perceived by others? Why or why not?

Part 2: Why do you think Faunia pretends to be dumber than she actually is? What might be the benefits of this act?

Part 3: What might have happened in Faunia's life had she been honest to others and to herself?

Essay Topic 3

When it's discovered that Faunia has a diary, it seems that her claims of illiteracy may not be true.

Part 1: Why would someone hide the fact that they could read?

Part 2: Why do you think that Faunia decided to pretend that she was illiterate?

Part 3: Why do you think Coleman never realized Faunia was indeed literate?

(see the answer keys)

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