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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 spiritual entity is mentioned in the Juba, as noted in the play's stage direction?

2. Where does Herald Loomis hang around?

3. How much time passes between the end of Act 1, Scene 1, and the beginning of Act 1, Scene 2?

4. Where does Bynum say everyone in the vision is going?

5. In Bynum's metaphor, what is Mattie?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the significance of Bynum's asking Loomis if he's ever been to Johnstown?

2. What does Bertha say is the worst use of a man?

3. What was Bynum's first reaction to finding his song?

4. What is Seth's attitude to the black men coming to the city to find work and freedom?

5. What does Bertha says Bynum has been doing all morning at the beginning of Act 1, Scene 2?

6. What does Bertha advise Mattie about Bynum?

7. Describe Bynum's meeting with the shiny man.

8. What is Loomis' reaction to walking in on the Juba?

9. What does Jeremy say happened to cause him to be arrested?

10. How did Seth and Bertha come to have an empty room when Martha first came to the boardinghouse?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Loomis's vision is an important element in the play. Discuss the meaning and significance of this vision.

1) What do the bones walking on water signify? Why do they sink? Why are they washed to shore?

2) Why is Loomis one of the sets of bones that washes to shore? Why can't he rise up and walk away like the other people?

3) What does the road signify in the vision? Why do the washed-up people walk down the road in different directions?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the metaphor of traveling in the play.

1) In the play, freed blacks travel across the country and become separated from each other. What motivates this traveling? What does it show about these people and their experiences?

2) Characters in the play travel in search of people and things that they've lost. What are the characters searching for? Why is travel important in their search?

3) Roads play important roles in both Bynum and Loomis' visions. Explain the significance of roads and traveling in the characters' visions.

Essay Topic 3

Discuss religion in the play.

1) What is the significance of the washing in blood that appears both in Bynum's vision and in the end of the play? What religious significance does it have?

2) Compare the Christian religion of the characters to Bynum's spiritualism. What parallels do they have? How are they different? Where does each arise from?

3) Why does Loomis rail against religion? What significance is there to the fact that Martha followed her church away from Loomis?

(see the answer keys)

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