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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 Mrs. Thomas want Bigger to do to help the family?

2. Where does Bigger and Mary take Jan after their evening out?

3. What happens when Bigger puts Mary's body in the trunk?

4. Where does Mrs. Thomas say Bigger will end up if he doesn't straighten out his life?

5. Where does Mary suggest she, Jan and Bigger go to eat?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe Bigger's home.

2. What happened when Mary's body didn't fit into the furnace?

3. Why does Bigger need to get a job?

4. Why does Bigger seem to take an instant dislike to Mary Dalton?

5. Why do the Dalton's make Bigger feel so uncomfortable?

6. After Bigger realized Mary was dead, why didn't he even consider just telling the truth?

7. What does it mean about Bigger "Feeling his blackness," even more after Mary Dalton and Jan Erlone's attempts at being friendly?

8. Why did Bigger want to kill the cat?

9. What is the symbolism of the two movies Bigger and his friends saw?

10. How does Bigger feel about his family?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

At the very end of the story Max is upset when Bigger comes to the conclusion that it must have been good that he killed. In an essay explain Bigger's reasoning and how he came to that conclusion. Also explain what Max is trying to make Bigger understand after he comes to this conclusion. Why might the two men have different views on this subject?

Essay Topic 2

Fear, Flight and Fate Themes:

Write an essay about the way each of these themes were demonstrated in the story. Did any of them intertwine? If so, when/how?

Essay Topic 3

Symbolism of words "White" and "Black"

The author of this novel, Richard Wright, has used the words "Black" and "White" heavily throughout this novel. Write an essay on the symbolism of these words, using several examples of each from the novel. Include whether or not the words influenced you at all as you read it.

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