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This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Part 1, The Seer and the Seen, Section 8.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Where does Ellison say civil wars are fought?
(a) "Between and betwixt fantasy and reality."
(b) "Within the individual human heart."
(c) "On the field of family ties."
(d) "In no man's land which cannot be grasped."

2. What is the origin of the essay "Change the Joke and Slip the Yoke?"
(a) Short story about lynching.
(b) "Invisible Man."
(c) Treatise on the folk art of tying knots.
(d) Letter written by Ellison when he was living in Rome to an old friend.

3. Why does Ellison begin the speech by referring to Ernest Hemingway?
(a) Hemingway is a writer Ellison strongly identifies with.
(b) Hemingway is often misspelled and therefore hidden.
(c) The name Hemingway is a pseudonym.
(d) Hemingway once called Ellison by the wrong name, Emerson.

4. What are the three themes of "Shadow and Act" according to the Introduction?
(a) Literature, Jazz/Blues and the relationship between Negro America and American culture.
(b) White people, Black people, and Native Americans.
(c) Racism, Poverty and Obstruction of Justice.
(d) Classical Dance, Country Music and Folk Art.

5. Why do Crane and his wife move to England?
(a) To escape rumors that she was an ex-madam.
(b) It was more exotic to Crane than New York.
(c) It was more civilized.
(d) He was wanted for several crimes.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Ellison say the "Negro problem" actually is?

2. What does the phrase "beating that boy" mean?

3. What Greek myth does Ellison refer to in "Brave Words?"

4. Who is the editor of "The Primer for White Folks?"

5. How many children are in Stephen Crane's birth family?

(see the answer key)

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