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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 found her job with the help of

2. Helga's attitude toward Negro "uplift" has turned to

3. What disturbs Helga about her conversation with Dr. Anderson?

4. Helga leaves Denmark with the expectation of

5. Helga shows up at the mission

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Anne's problem with Audrey Denny? Does her hate toward Audrey make any sense? Why or why not?

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

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

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

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

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 is Helga's reasoning for not wanting children? Is this just a defense mechanism on her part? Why, or why not?

8. What is it about African Americans that Helga hates? Is this opinion of hers new, or has she felt this way for some time? What causes her to draw this conclusion?

9. What exactly happens to Helga in Denmark? What is her social life like? Is she doomed to be unhappy again? Why?

10. Do we know why Helga loses interest in her present lifestyle? How would you assess Helga if you were her friend or counselor?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Is there really such a place as Naxos? If not, trace the history of the first schools in the south that were strictly designed for African American students. Were they designed to uplift the black race, or to teach assimilation?Were they comparable to Naxos in terms of their goals and objectives? If so, in what ways?

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay about the music in Harlem during the 1920s, including popular musicians and their audiences. Do some of the same venues still exist there? Does the traditional music of the 1920s still exist there? What permanent mark did early Harlem leave on music, if any?

Essay Topic 3

In the 1920s, being of mixed race was not easy, as exemplified by these stories. How have things changed in America in this regard, or have they? Is there more freedom now for mixed marriages and bi-racial children? Why, or why not? What are some of the hardships faced by bi-racial couples and children?

(see the answer keys)

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