View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What story does Gold tell in Chapter 2?

2. In Chapter 4, what does Hurston claim that she does not want to do to the reader?

3. What sign does Hurston see in Chapter 4 that intrigues her?

4. What does Hurston think of the local liquor served at the "toe party"?

5. What story does Mathilda Mosley tell in Chapter 2?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe Mathilda Mosley's story.

2. Why do people treat Hurston differently at the Pine Mill? How do they act around her?

3. What is the significance of the stories Hurston hears about the slave outsmarting the master or black men outsmarting white men?

4. Describe the story John French tells in Chapter 3.

5. Describe the interaction between Hurston and Mr. Pitts.

6. Describe the differences between the two slaves' actions in Joe Wiley's story.

7. Describe one of the stories Hurston hears in Chapter 4 that describes ugliness.

8. How does Gold explain the difference of skin tone in people?

9. Who is Babe Hill, and what role does she play in Hurston's book?

10. Describe the Everglades Cypress Lumber Company.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What role does humor play in Hurston's stories? Choose two stories and explain the use of humor in each tale.

Essay Topic 2

Analyze the interaction between the community during storytelling. What role does storytelling play in the community? What does Hurston learn during these gatherings?

Essay Topic 3

What is the benefit of this book being written in first person? How does it enhance the reader's experience? Why might Hurston have chosen to write the book this way rather then presenting a collection of tales?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 748 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample