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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. In her opening essays, what does Parks define as "the holding or having of something of one's own"?

2. What does Lucius criticize Mare for not doing correctly in scene "B" of "Betting on the Dust Commander"?

3. When did the Thirteenth Amendment abolish slavery?

4. What does Mrs. Smith ask Buffy to keep clean in scene "B" of "Greeks (or the Slugs)"?

5. Who describes how important it is for everyone in the family to have a clean, pressed appearance in scene "B" of "Greeks (or the Slugs)"?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Mr. Sergeant Smith write to his daughter in scene "C" of "Greeks (or the Slugs)"?

2. What opening statement defines the essay "An Equation for Black People Onstage"? What does Parks' mean with the statement?

3. How are different styles of language juxtaposed in scene "B" of "Open House"?

4. What imagined encounter does Aretha experience in "C" of "Open House"?

5. What apparatus does the Naturalist describe in scene "B" of "Snails"?

6. What does Lucius criticize Mare for doing improperly in scene "B" of "Betting on the Dust Commander"? What is her criticism of him?

7. In what way did Mr. Sergeant Smith receive his greatest wish in "G" of "Greeks (or the Slugs)"?

8. What news does Molly relate in scene "A" of "Snails"? Who does Charlene describe in the scene?

9. What does Suzan-Lori Parks imply about African American youth in "Open House"?

10. Who does the Naturalist describe as needing help in scene "D" of "Snails"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare and contrast the relationship between Icarus and Mr. Sergeant Smith in "Greeks (or the Slugs)." In what ways are these tragic heroes similar?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the theme of assimilation depicted in "Greeks (or the Slugs)." What symbols represent assimilation in the narrative?

Essay Topic 3

Define and analyze metaphor and symbolism in "Snails." What can the cockroach and Naturalist be seen as symbols of in society? Why?

(see the answer keys)

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