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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 signal does one of the coffin bearers give Bliss to let him know that he's not alone inside the coffin?

2. What does Senator Sunraider do to block out the visions he is having while giving his last speech?

3. When he sees Hickman by his bedside, what does the senator want from him?

4. Who does Hickman accuse of taking away Bliss's singing voice?

5. What does Hickman preach will happen if you keep putting one and one together?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens to Bliss, Donelson, and Karp when Laly and the other townspeople discover that their movie-making venture is a fraud?

2. Why is Bliss so obsessed about the image of the movie actress?

3. After Reverend Hickman pulls Bliss off of the little clown outside of the tent, what is all over Bliss's hands?

4. How does Bliss comfort himself when he thinks about being trapped in the coffin?

5. At what moment does Hickman realize his life is really going to change?

6. Who does Lorelli think she is after she returns from Europe?

7. What does the senator remember as surprising him the most about the woman who interrupts the large Juneteenth service?

8. In what ways does Senator Sunraider, while in his hospital bed, remember his childhood?

9. Why is Bliss conflicted over Hickman's strong encouragement to begin preaching at such a young age?

10. Why does Bliss get to cut open the watermelon he and Sister Georgia share?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe three literary devices Ellison uses in the scene where Bliss's mother comes to Hickman's house to give birth. Be sure to use specific quotations from the novel as examples of each literary device.

Essay Topic 2

Analyze at least 3 interactions Bliss has with women and how each interaction aids in his character development.

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the tone of Juneteenth. What is the tone for the novel overall? What three literary devices does Ellison use to create this tone? Make sure to use direct evidence from the text to support your position.

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This section contains 676 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample