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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. How many prisoners are there in each cell?

2. What do Laura and Malcolm make a date to do?

3. Where does Malcolm hide when Sophia's friend comes into the house?

4. Which member of the gang starts to make serious mistakes?

5. Who does Malcolm say Sophia has now married?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens when Archie and Malcolm finally encounter each other?

2. What does Malcolm learn about skin color during his pilgrimage?

3. Describe Malcolm's press conference in Chapter 18.

4. Describe Malcolm's parents.

5. In what way are Malcolm's problems getting worse in Chapter 8?

6. Why did prison prove to be a good thing for Malcolm?

7. Describe Malcolm's job with the madam?

8. Describe what Malcolm does when he meets a white woman in Chapter 4.

9. What are Malcolm's arguments in terms of racism?

10. Summarize Chapter 6.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Look at the structure of the novel.

1) Discuss elements of the narrative structure: exposition, conflict, complication, climax, resolution and conclusion. Do all the elements make for a logical and linear story? How does the story's structure express the book's ideas?

2) Examine the way both Malcolm and Alex Haley use the other people in the story to express Malcolm's ideas.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the values of the 1960s.

1) Why did Afro American politics come to the fore during this time ?

2) What significant changes do you think occurred during this period?

3)Does today's society share any values with 1960s America?

Essay Topic 3

Look at Spike Lee's adaptation of the book. Is it how the students would visualize the book? Do the students think the film is objective? What new meaning do the students think that Denzel Washington and Spike Lee bring to the work? How different do the students think the film would be if it were directed by a white director or starred, for example, Samuel Lee Jackson?

(see the answer keys)

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