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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. In Chapter 2, what topic do most of the stories cover?

2. What stories do the men tell on the way to work in Chapter 4?

3. How long does the "toe party" last?

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

5. Who raced to two packages in Chapter 4?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. How does Hurston manage to fit into the Everglades Cypress Lumber Company community?

3. How does John trick his master in Chapter 4?

4. Why is it significant that a woman listens to the devil's advice in Mathilda Mosley's story?

5. What is Shug's reaction to Julius Henry's story, and why might she react this way?

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

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

8. Why does Charlie Jones claim that congregations split into different churches?

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

10. Describe Mathilda Mosley's story.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What is the significance of the song John Henry? Analyze one verse from the song and explain how it relates to black history.

Essay Topic 2

Hurston meets many interesting people in the book. These people influence her life in many ways. Choose one person or couple she meets that influences her life and explain the positive and negative aspects of that influence.

Essay Topic 3

Define the term hyperbole. Provide three examples where hyperbole is used in the language Hurston uses or overhears.

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