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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 Iris also strongly opinionated about, which attracts Coleman's attention and affection?

2. What does Coleman think is helping him to feel younger and stronger, aside from Faunia?

3. On the day she died, Iris was in perfect health aside from a __________ that would not leave her alone.

4. Who is the young woman from the Midwest that Coleman meets when he is in school?

5. Coleman thinks the Iris has the wildest _____________ of anyone he has seen.

Short Essay Questions

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

2. How does Coleman reveal to Iris his racial background when they are getting married?

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

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

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

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

7. What happened on the day that Nathan found Coleman in only his shorts?

8. What does the doctor offer to Coleman's family in return for the favor they request, though the Silks turn the offer down?

9. What does Coleman do after his father dies when he is a student at Howard?

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 war seems to have done quite a number of Les when he is described in this book.

Part 1: Why do you think war veterans can have so many mental disorders when they come back home?

Part 2: Do you think that Les could ever be rehabilitated?

Part 3: How do you think Les has changed from before he went to war?

Essay Topic 2

Race is a large part of this story, even when it isn't directly discussed. But race becomes the motivating force behind many decisions.

Part 1: How is race defined within this story by its characters?

Part 2: Is race only a matter of the color of one's skin? Why or why not?

Part 3: If you could change the way you look to others, would you? Would you present yourself as a different race? Why or why not?

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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