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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 does James Weldon Johnson justify cannibalism in Haiti?

2. Who does James Weldon Johnson say the Jes Grew belongs to?

3. Whom does Biff Musclewhite say Thor reminds him of?

4. What does the Atonist Order require of the newspapers?

5. How does Biff Musclewhite characterize America?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the status of The Text?

2. Why is Biff Musclewhite needed for the Mu’tafikah’s break-in at the Center for Art Detention?

3. Describe Nathan Brown’s status in the black arts scene.

4. Why is Thor distrusted?

5. What does the Jes Grew want?

6. What is the meaning when Safecracker Gould says that “the dances were difficult to write down” (p. 103)?

7. What is Hinkle Von Vampton’s strategy for eliminating the Jes Grew?

8. Describe the confrontation between Buddy Jackson and Schlitz.

9. What accusation does Yellow Jack make to Berbelang?

10. How does Biff Musclewhite free himself after the heist?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What does the experience of the Mu’tafikah tell you about making art? Why should art be kept close to the people who create it? Why is art out of context dangerous, or lifeless? What does that mean for Mumbo Jumbo the novel? What is the proper home for this book?

Essay Topic 2

Evaluate your own reading of Mumbo Jumbo—did you resist it, or were you compelled by the story? What does your reading tell you about yourself and your interests? Use specific examples from the book to describe yourself as a reader.

Essay Topic 3

What makes Mumbo Jumbo an American novel? How does Reed define America, and how is his definition of America sustained throughout the action of Mumbo Jumbo? How does Reed account for competing visions of what America is?

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This section contains 953 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample