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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. Who calls Jones at the beginning of Chapter 9?

2. When does the narrator say he can give the man money for the dog?

3. Where do Jones and Alice go shopping at the beginning of Chapter 12?

4. What does the narrator say a feeling settles in his stomach like?

5. What does Himes say he wanted to become?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Jones drive to see Alice at the end of Chapter 9?

2. What problems does Jones have with the white boy?

3. Why does Jones decide not to kill the white boy?

4. What kind of area does Alice live in?

5. What does Jones say he thinks of his girlfriend Alice?

6. Why does Als think Himes decided to write crime novels?

7. How does Jones say the white women treat him?

8. Why did Himes' mother Estelle have a problem with Himes' father?

9. How does Alice startle both the police and Jones when the police stop them for speeding?

10. What problems does Jones encounter with his boss MacDougal?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What is Leighton's opinions on the Negro problem? What does Jones think about his opinions? What would people think about Leighton's opinions today?

Essay Topic 2

How has racism oppressed Jones? What would Jones' life be like if his life had not been oppressed by racism?

Essay Topic 3

Aside from the main character, examine the way the author uses the other characters in the book. When does he introduce and take them away from the story? What effect does it have on the story?

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