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This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Part 3, The Shadow and the Act, Section 4.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Why does Ellison choose to write "Invisible Man" in a non-naturalistic way?
(a) To be released from expectations.
(b) To be the first Negro writer to write science-fiction.
(c) To bring in supernatural elements.
(d) To capture the fluidity and diversity of America.

2. How old is Crane when he wrote his masterpiece "The Red Badge of Courage?"
(a) 16,
(b) 21.
(c) 79.
(d) 45.

3. What does the phrase "to finger its jagged grain and to transcend it" refer to?
(a) To walk the razor's edge of reason.
(b) To climb great mountains.
(c) The complexity of writing fiction.
(d) The power of the blues.

4. What type of jug does Ellison believe young Negro writers, such as himself, are in?
(a) Small overcrowded jug.
(b) Expensive jug, one to be carefully guarded.
(c) Broken jug, leaking and being wasted.
(d) Transparent jug, stuck inside but able to see out.

5. What magazine does Ellison write music reviews for?
(a) Saturday Review.
(b) New Yorker.
(c) Negro Nightlife.
(d) Music Town Tonight.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who lives on the left of Ellison?

2. When is "The Birth of a Nation" released?

3. What musician does Ellison see as the true "trickster" archetype?

4. Why does Ellison choose to analyze Mark Twain?

5. What childhood memory does Ellison draw on to deal with his artistic nemesis?

(see the answer key)

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