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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 Biff Musclewhite characterize America?

2. What does Reed say Berbelang known as?

3. When was the last time Jes Grew flared up?

4. What are labanotations?

5. What is everything made of at the Wallflower Order headquarters?

Short Essay Questions

1. What definitions of the Jes Grew are offered at the beginning of Mumbo Jumbo?

2. How does Woodrow Wilson Jefferson end up being hired by the Benign Monster?

3. Describe the interview between Hinkle Von Vampton and Abdul Hamid.

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

5. Describe the cover of the first issue of the Benign Monster.

6. What is Mumbo Jumbo’s relationship with history?

7. How is Mumbo Jumbo different from most novels?

8. Describe the trolley car driver’s strange experience on account of the black freighter.

9. What is the status of The Text?

10. How does Reed characterize America in Mumbo Jumbo?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In the beginning of Mumbo Jumbo, Reed quotes Louis Armstrong as saying that “the spirit hits them and they follow.” (p. 7). What is the spirit, and where does it lead people in Mumbo Jumbo?

Essay Topic 2

In Chapter 13, Abdul says that he put together his education like a quilt, “a patch of knowledge here a patch there but lovingly knitted.” (p. 37). Is this the best metaphor for the storytelling of Mumbo Jumbo, or does the novel provide a better explanation of its technique? Explain why this or another explanation is the most fitting metaphor for the book’s construction.

Essay Topic 3

In what ways is Mumbo Jumbo relevant to contemporary readers? What contemporary issues are in play in the book, and how would the book contribute to contemporary discussion? Cite specific discussions from contemporary sources, and cite specific instances from the book, that describe its contemporary relevance.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 915 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample