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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. Irene allowing Clare into the private rooms of the house symbolizes

2. Helga has developed a new appreciation for

3. Irene does not tell Brian about bumping into Bellew because

4. In her illness, Helga is unable to

5. For more than a week, Helga remains in a state of

Short Essay Questions

1. Discuss how giving birth to her fourth child seems to be Helga's breaking point. Why does this happen? What does the death of her infant symbolize?

2. Clare attends the Negro League dance with Brian and Irene. What does the dance symbolize in the story? Why is Irene careful to arrange a ride home for Clare?

3. What is the author's intention when she puts the two women together in the hotel restaurant scene? What conclusions can we draw from Irene's memory of that day?

4. Is there anything we can deduce about Irene's response to Clare's letter without knowing the whole story? If so, what are they?

5. Things have taken a turn for the worse at the Redfields'. What are the clues that the story is inching toward a conclusion as it pertains to the Redfields and Clare Kendry? What conclusions can we draw about this section of the story?

6. What do we know about Clare Kendry from her letter to Irene? What do we know about her from this chapter?

7. What is it that has kept Clare from leaving her husband and living permanently in Harlem?

8. What do we learn about the marriage of Irene and Brian Redfield in this chapter? Is it healthy? Is it durable? Why, or why not?

9. After two years pass, Clare again wants to become involved in Irene's life. Is Irene's reaction negative or positive? Explain her reaction.

10. What, exactly, does Irene fervently wish John Bellew could know? Why?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an in-depth essay on Dr. Robert Anderson. There are many things about him which attract and repel Helga. What is his role in Helga's life in Quicksand? What does he represent to her? Is there anything about him that would make him more attractive to Helga than the average man? Why does Larsen include him?

Essay Topic 2

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 3

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?

(see the answer keys)

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