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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Culturally, what do American Negros represent?
(a) Future of American melting pot.
(b) Repression of natural human desire.
(c) African tribal customs transplanted to American soil.
(d) Great amalgam of African, American Indian and European cultures.

2. Does Ellison have "Invisible Man" completely thought out prior to writing it?
(a) Ellison refuses to discuss his writing method.
(b) Yes, the conceptual framework was in place.
(c) No, he just wrote as it came to him.
(d) Partly, he knew what the ending would be, but that was all.

3. How did Mrs. Jackson's nephew William die?
(a) Submarine torpedoes sank the ship he was working on.
(b) Drugs and alcohol.
(c) Hit by enemy fire during a battle in France.
(d) Suicide.

4. In "Blues People" how are the blues categorized?
(a) Country or classic.
(b) Good or bad.
(c) Negro or White.
(d) Poetic or Sociological.

5. In "The Art of Fiction: An Interview" what does Ellison say at the very beginning?
(a) All questions must be submitted on paper first.
(b) "Invisible Man" is not an autobiography.
(c) I don't have much time so hurry up.
(d) Did you hear the one about the three guys who go into a bar?

6. What do people eat at Minton's?
(a) Caviar, champagne and escargot.
(b) Hamburgers and hot dogs.
(c) Peanuts and beer.
(d) Fried chicken, hash, grits, biscuits and hot rolls.

7. What kind of bird does Ellison say Parker is?
(a) Poor Robin.
(b) Sad Crow.
(c) Haunting Vulture.
(d) Silly Turkey.

8. Where does Charlie Parker die?
(a) Crossing the Atlantic.
(b) Mental hospital.
(c) Hotel suite of a Baroness.
(d) Alley behind Minton's.

9. Who lives above Ellison?
(a) Exercise club.
(b) Diligent classical singer.
(c) Judo training facility.
(d) Tap dancer.

10. What is Minton's Playhouse?
(a) Historic Jazz Club.
(b) Restaurant.
(c) Broadway theater.
(d) Day Care Center.

11. What two types of music is Ellison torn between as a child?
(a) Be-bop and Big Band.
(b) Negro folk and Western classical.
(c) Sacred and Profane.
(d) Country Western and Soul.

12. Why are slaves able to express themselves in art?
(a) They were given artistic education by slave owners.
(b) Entertainment was enforced by white culture.
(c) They came from African cultures where art was highly functional.
(d) Art was seen as harmless by slave owners.

13. What do the three sections of "Invisible Man" represent?
(a) Terror to understanding to acceptance.
(b) Ancient to modern to future.
(c) Purpose to passion to perception.
(d) Darkness to dawn to full sun at noon.

14. What is the basic spiritual outlook of the American Negro?
(a) Cosmological.
(b) Protestant.
(c) Ontological.
(d) Pentecostal.

15. When is "The Birth of a Nation" released?
(a) 1960.
(b) 1945.
(c) 1915.
(d) 1990.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Ellison believe Negro folklore does?

2. What kind of radio does Ellison have?

3. Who is the author of the novel "Intruder in the Dust?"

4. What is the first book Ellison ever reviews in a publication?

5. What instrument does Henry Minton play?

(see the answer keys)

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