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This test consists of 5 short answer questions and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. According to Baldwin, who were the only people able to maintain a useful and unquestioned friendship with Negroes during the 1940s and 50s in Paris?

2. In the essay Equal in Paris, what city was Baldwin's new "friend" from?

3. What does Baldwin say boys and young men of the Swiss village can be seen doing all week long?

4. What university were American soldiers attending in Paris?

5. How does Baldwin describe the entertainment industry in Paris for American performers in the 1940s and 50s?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In the essay entitled Notes of a Native Son, Baldwin uses his own personal experience to help the reader understand racial prejudice. What is the significance of Baldwin using his own personal story to relay his message? How does his own personal experience help the reader to understand racial prejudice? Please use examples from the book to support your answer.

Essay Topic 2

In the essay entitled, A Question of Identity, Baldwin finds it ironic that many Americans opted to remain in Europe after the war to experience the cultural freedoms available there, but later returned to the Unites States hungry for the rules and society in which they were raised. Do you find this ironic? Why do you think African American men returned to the United States after spending time in Europe? Please use examples from the book to support your answer.

Essay Topic 3

Baldwin writes the essays in the book Notes of a Native Son using more of a conventional style rather than an academic style. Analyze Baldwin's conventional approach to writing. How does Baldwin's conventional approach to writing enhance the book Notes of a Native Son? Please use examples from the book to support your answer.

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