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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What word from "Down at the Cross" refers to a political leader who seeks support by appealing to popular desires and prejudices rather than by using rational argument?
(a) Protagonist.
(b) Antagonist.
(c) Demagogue.
(d) Pedagogue.

2. The author puts forth the Nation of Islam's belief that the white man's rule will be ended in how much time in "Down at the Cross"?
(a) 50-60 years.
(b) 100 years.
(c) 5-10 years.
(d) 10-15 years.

3. Of the girls in Harlem going through adolescence, the author says in "Down at the Cross," "They understood that they must act as God's" what?
(a) "Love."
(b) "Watchmen."
(c) "Angels."
(d) "Decoys."

4. In "Down at the Cross," the author describes the adolescent changes that the girls undergo, saying that they no longer tease the boys but do what to them instead?
(a) Reprimand them.
(b) Interrogate them.
(c) Flirt with them.
(d) Step on them.

5. In what war does the author describe many of his friends enlisting in the service to fight in the beginning of "Down at the Cross"?
(a) World War I.
(b) World War II.
(c) The Korean War.
(d) The Vietnam War.

Short Answer Questions

1. How old was the author when he describes an encounter where a policeman made a racial slur as he passed in Manhattan in "Down at the Cross"?

2. Who founded the Nation of Islam?

3. Where was the author going when he crossed Fifth Avenue in Manhattan and the policeman made a racial slur toward him in "Down at the Cross"?

4. What word from "Down at the Cross" refers to people who engage in dishonest and fraudulent business dealings?

5. In describing Elijah Muhammad in "Down at the Cross," the author notes, "The central quality in Elijah's face is" what?

Short Essay Questions

1. What parallels does the author draw between his father and Elijah Muhammad in "Down at the Cross"?

2. What elements of foreshadowing can be seen in the first part of "Down at the Cross"?

3. What does the author describe discussing with his driver after leaving Elijah Muhammad's home in "Down at the Cross"?

4. Who was Elijah Muhammad? What was his role within the Nation of Islam?

5. What causes the author irritation during his dinner at Elijah Muhammad's home?

6. What is the source of the author's anger and resentment toward his father?

7. What parallels does the author draw between Christianity and Islam in "Down at the Cross"?

8. What hypocrisies in Christianity and the Nation of Islam does Baldwin point out in "Down at the Cross"?

9. How does the author describe the setting of Elijah Muhammad's home in "Down at the Cross"?

10. How does the author compare his involvement in ministry with the thugs on the Avenue in "Down at the Cross"?

(see the answer keys)

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