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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 does Malcolm take to a jeweler to be repaired?

2. Who does Malcolm say he continues to see?

3. Whose word does Malcolm's father spread?

4. What is the name of the prison Malcolm is incarcerated?

5. Whose friends stop Malcolm and Archie from killing each other?

Short Essay Questions

1. In Chapter 7 how does Malcolm get deeper into illegal activity?

2. Why does Malcolm change his surname from Small to X?

3. In what way did Malcolm's prison education mold his later ideas?

4. In what way is Malcolm a good student?

5. Why doe Malcolm initially think that it is a good idea to give up cigarettes in prison?

6. In what way does Malcolm appreciate his difficult upbringing?

7. Describe Laura.

8. What does Malcolm state are the differences in the concept of love between Western religions and Islam?

9. How does Malcolm feel about the way he treats Laura in Chapter 3?

10. What does Malcolm learn while he is in Africa?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Why did the slaves have their names changed upon arriving in America? What effect did it have on their families' identities?

Essay Topic 2

Look at the Nation of Islam in the Sixties. What were people's views on the Nation of Islam? Was there any Nation of Islam literature?How was Nation of Islam presented in popular culture? Has this representation affected the way people think about the Nation of Islam today?

Essay Topic 3

At one point the book uses Boston as a setting.

1) What meaning does Boston bring to the book? What would you automatically link with someone who grew up in Boston?

2) How different do you think today's Boston is to the Boston in the book? How do you think the book's meaning would change if it were set in today's Boston?

3) How do you think the setting contributes to the book's humor?

(see the answer keys)

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