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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 did Dr. Locke offer to do for Hughes while both men were in Italy?

2. Who brought the disciples of Gurdjieff to Harlem?

3. Why did Hughes want to return to college?

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

5. What made Hughes the "town curiosity" while he was in Italy?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why did Hughes go to Washington D.C. after landing in New York?

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

3. What were some of the places in Italy Hughes saw aboard the ship headed for New York? What happened to him in Valencia?

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

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

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

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

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

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

10. What happened to Hughes on his was back to France that changed his travel plans?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Hughes was asked to participate in a interracial conference at Franklin and Marshall College. He related two important stories, one about how he and Alain Locke were treated at Hill School in Pennsylvania and another about the practical and meaningful topic he suggested be discussed at the conference. Discuss these two stories and what they meant to Hughes and how they affected his life at college and after.

Essay Topic 2

When Hughes boarded the S.S. Malone, he brought a box with him on the ship. One night shortly after the ship embarked on its journey to Africa, Hughes dumped the contents of his box into the ocean. This was an important event in Hughes' life. What was in the box that was thrown overboard, and why did Hughes toss everything into the ocean? What did he hope to change in his life by this symbolic act?

Essay Topic 3

While in Washington D.C., Hughes found himself face to face with Vachel Lindsay. Describe the meeting of the two men. Why was this meeting important to Hughes's career? What was the story of the "bus boy poet"? There was a particular irony of Hughes's meeting Lindsay at the Wardman Park Hotel. What was that irony?

(see the answer keys)

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