View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. When Hughes and his stepfather took Jocko to the pool hall, what happened?

2. Where was George from?

3. Where was Hughes when he was refused service at the train station soda fountain?

4. Who was Auntie Reed and Uncle Reed?

5. How many monkeys were on the S. S. Malone?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who was Edward? How did Hughes meet him?

2. While sailing along the African shore, what did the crew do from port to port? What did Hughes realize about the black Africans?

3. Describe Hughes's childhood. With whom did he live? How did he begin to be a reader? Where did he attend school?

4. Who was Florence Embry Jones? Who were some of the musicians Hughes heard because of Florence?

5. How did Hughes go about earning money in Mexico? What were his plans for the money he earned there?

6. What were the three tragedies Hughes described happening in the village before his departure back to the states?

7. How did Hughes react to being in college at Columbia University? What were the problems he identified?

8. Who did Hughes stand in line to see at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York? What did he think of the performance?

9. Where did Hughes find a more permanent job in Paris? What were his initial job duties? What important new perk did this job offer him?

10. How long did it take Hughes to find work in Paris? What job did he finally get? What was his pay?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Hughes decided to attend Lincoln University, an all black college, when he received a scholarship. How was his experience at Lincoln different than that of Columbia University? What did Hughes identify as a major problem at Lincoln, and what did he attempt to do about it? Was he successful?

Essay Topic 2

One of the issues Hughes raised again and again in his book was that of race. He often remarked on the color of his skin, whether he was a "black man" in one country and not in another. What are some of the major threads of the theme of race that run through Hughes's book? Why are they an important part of Hughes's autobiography?

Essay Topic 3

Hughes wrote the book "Not Without Laughter" during the summer after his junior year at Lincoln University. What was the book about, and what did it mean to Hughes? What does the phrase "not without laughter" mean and why was it fitting for this novel?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,242 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample