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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. What was the name of the poem that won Hughes his first poetry prize?

2. When did Hughes say he most felt like writing?

3. What did Hughes say was a "big sea full of fish?"

4. How did Dr. Alain Locke find Hughes in Paris?

5. How did Hughes describe the cockroaches in New Orleans?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. When an alum of the college met Hughes, how did he react to Hughes's survey concerning having black faculty at Lincoln?

3. How did Hughes compare Bricktop Ada Smith and Florence? How were the two women different?

4. How did Hughes conclude his story of the racial survey at Lincoln? What changes did he witness at the school and in how many years?

5. How did Hughes's patron feel about black in America? How did this manifest itself in her relationship with Hughes?

6. Who was Bruce? Why did he become upset at work? What happened when the boss fired him? How did this affect Hughes?

7. Where was the Interracial Conference Hughes attended during his sophomore year located? What story did Hughes tell about this conference?

8. What did Florence do after the brawl at the Grand Duc? How did this affect the club and what did the owner finally do?

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

10. How did Hughes describe the wedding of Countee Cullen? Why was the wedding the talk of Harlem for a time? How was Hughes involved?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Hughes titled one of the chapters in his autobiography "Distinguished Visitor." This visitor brought with him the beginnings of major fame for Hughes. Discuss the visitor and what he had to offer Hughes. Who did he introduce Hughes to that influenced his career? Why was this visitor important throughout Hughes's career?

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

When he was a child, Hughes lived with the Reeds who not only saw to his care and education but also to his religious development. One incident at church was a particularly important one for Hughes. What happened to him at the Reed's church? How did his behavior affect the Reeds? How did it affect Hughes? How did this experience change his life?

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