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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. Helga has trouble finding work because she

2. James Vayle feels it is important

3. The staging of Helga by her aunt and uncle make Helga feel like

4. How does Helga feel about the encounter with Uncle Peter's wife?

5. Helga leaves Denmark with the expectation of

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Helga feel free on the ship on her way to Denmark? Does being isolated in the middle of the ocean have any effect on her? If so, what?

2. To what do you suppose Helga is attracted in Dr. Anderson? (Hint: Up until now, the author repeatedly mentions a certain aspect of him.)

3. Why would Helga become alienated in a school for Negro children? What makes her different from other faculty.

4. Describe Helga's opinions of Naxos as an institution. Would Naxos be a popular school in today's world? Why, or why not?

5. Who is Uncle Peter? Why does Helga expect help from him?

6. Dr. Anderson has almost talked Helga into staying at Naxos. What triggers her rage, and why?

7. Discuss Helga's "maladjustment" at Naxos. Is it about the school, or is it about Helga, or both?

8. Why does Helga return to Harlem? Discuss her newfound spiritual ties to the black population here. Is it the same connection she felt before? Why, or why not?

9. Why does Anne begin avoiding Helga? Has something come between them? What is it?

10. Discuss Axel Olsen's inappropriateness with Helga. What kind of person is he? Why does Helga reject him?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Research and write about Harlem in the 1920s. What made Harlem the haven it became for African Americans? What kinds of people lived there? What was the basic economic structure at that time? Did people generally live in Harlem and work outside, or vice versa? Was black Harlem closed to white folks?

Essay Topic 2

How is Larsen's own attitude toward black women's sexuality revealed, both in Quicksand and Passing? Was Larsen a prude? Was she concerned about the stereotyping of black women? If so, how does she demonstrate her attitudes in these stories?

Essay Topic 3

Determine the meaning of the word "outre" and explain how the concept is used in Larsen's descriptions of Helga Crane. Did Helga play the peacock role well? Did she enjoy it? Can you think of other examples of people being so different from others in their environment, that their only option is to expand on those differences? Explain your answers.

(see the answer keys)

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