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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 Bigger do after he puts Mary to bed?

2. What does Bigger do to silence Mary in her room?

3. What Bigger and his friends call the game they play?

4. What does Mrs. Thomas want Bigger to do to help the family?

5. When Mrs. Dalton speaks to Bigger in the kitchen, what surprises him about her?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

4. Why does Bigger get so angry and violent with Gus when he says he'll go along with the robbery?

5. Why does Bigger panic when Mrs. Dalton enters Mary's room while he is in there?

6. Why does Bigger need to get a job?

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

8. What did he find outside near the car on the night of Mary's death, and what did he do with it?

9. Why did Bigger help Mary to her room instead of waking her parents and letting them know her drunken condition?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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.

Essay Topic 2

There are places in the story where Bigger demonstrates a keen ability to visualize a situation ahead of time to evaluate the outcomes. Was this an advantage or disadvantage to him in the story? Give examples in the essay.

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay on the way the author, Richard Wright wrote this story, demonstrates both sides of the "nature versus nurture" theory. This is particularly strong when Max testifies to the court about Bigger's life. In the essay describe various parts of the story and how they reinforce both aspects of the theory.

(see the answer keys)

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