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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. Robert Anderson's kiss makes Helga

2. Anne's feelings about racism cause her to

3. When she realizes what Axel Olsen is implying, Helga feels

4. About to be sick in the crowd of worshippers, Helga got

5. In the sophisticated crowd, James Vayle seems

Short Essay Questions

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

2. Is Helga feeling regret as she leaves Naxos? Why or why not? Is this a good move for her career? Is sh being responsible?

3. 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?

4. What does Axel Olsen's portrait of Helga symbolize? Is the portrait important to the story? Why or why not?

5. Is it clear whether Helga is liked by her peers or colleagues? If so, is it genuine? Is Helga a likable person?

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

7. What does the story imply about Mrs. Hayes-Rore's husband? In what might he have been involved? Explain your answers, quoting text.

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

9. Describe Helga's lifestyle as a teacher. Is it unusual? Why or why not?

10. What was it about Helga's past that was so unhappy? Is her unhappiness justified? Why, or why not?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

There are several mentions of "uplift" of the Negro race in the 1920s. Research and write about at least three organizations whose cause it was to uplift the race, what they did, and whether they still exist. Are there any of these still in existence today? If so, where are they headquartered and what is their creed or motto?

Essay Topic 2

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 3

Write a biography, from what you can find through research, of Nella Larsen and her own experiences that contributed to her stories. Are her stories autobiographical? Where did she gain knowledge of the problems of being bi-racial? What impact, if any, did her writing have on Americans?

(see the answer keys)

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