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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. Where was Hughes robbed of his money and his passport?

2. Where did Bricktop Ada Smith come from?

3. Who was one person Dr. Locke arranged for Hughes to meet in Paris?

4. Who did Rudolph Fisher sing with while he was in college?

5. How did Hughes compare talking with Mr. Barnes about art?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happened to Hughes when his patron broke off their relationship?

2. What was "Not Without Laughter"? Why was it important in Hughes's life?

3. Who was Gladys Bentley? How did Hughes describe her?

4. What was the "Messenger"? Who ran it? Why was the editor and the "Messenger" important to Hughes?

5. Where did Hughes attend college during the 1920s? When was the college founded and by whom? Where is the college located?

6. Who was Hughes's distinguished visitor? Why was the visit an important one?

7. Why did Hughes travel to Italy for the summer? Where did he stay?

8. What club did white people come into Harlem to drink and listen to music? Why did Hughes not go to this club? How did most Harlem blacks feel about this club?

9. What survey did Hughes conduct at his college during his senior year? Why was this issue important to Hughes?

10. What event brought Hughes to the South in 1927? How did he react to the South and southern cities?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Hughes remained in Mexico for a year while earning the money to leave the country. What had transpired between Hughes and his father that set Hughes on a plan to leave Mexico? What was Hughes's goal while he was there, and how did he go about reaching that goal? Discuss how this plan affected Hughes's life as a man.

Essay Topic 2

There were two singers at the Grand Duc while Hughes worked there: Florence Embry Jones and Bricktop Ada Smith. Both were excellent jazz singers and two very different women. Compare the two singers, what they offered the Grand Duc, and how they affected Hughes while he worked there.

Essay Topic 3

Hughes met many people in New York society when Harlem was in its heyday. Who was Carl Van Vechten? How did Hughes know him? What was unique about the man and his parties? What career-damaging thing happened to both men nearly simultaneously?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,291 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample