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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 does the word "impertinent" mean in the context of "My Dungeon Shook"?

2. To whom is the author writing in "My Dungeon Shook"?

3. What word from "My Dungeon Shook" refers to the condition of being lower in status or quality than others?

4. How does the author describe himself as a baby in "My Dungeon Shook"?

5. Of white people, the author says in "My Dungeon Shook," "You must accept them and accept them with" what?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who is Charles Dickens and why does the author cite him in "My Dungeon Shook"?

2. How does the author describe aspirations toward excellence or mediocrity in "My Dungeon Shook"?

3. What does the author remark about love and survival in "My Dungeon Shook"?

4. How does the author rally his nephew in the conclusion of "My Dungeon Shook"?

5. How does the author describe the temperament and attitudes of the letter recipient in "My Dungeon Shook"?

6. Why does James Baldwin claim to have re-started his letter numerous times in "My Dungeon Shook"?

7. How does the author suggest his nephew perceive the "details and symbols of your life" in "My Dungeon Shook"?

8. How does James Baldwin describe his father's defeat in "My Dungeon Shook"?

9. What "is the danger in the minds of most white Americans," according to the author in "My Dungeon Shook"?

10. What does the author write about the words "acceptance" and "integration" in "My Dungeon Shook"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the theme of exploitation in "Down at the Cross." How does the author feel religions tend to exploit their followers? Does he believe this is true both in white society and in African American society? What are examples of the exploitation of the church?

Essay Topic 2

Describe and discuss the author's descriptions of his mother and other female African Americans in The Fire Next Time. How are these depictions juxtaposed against the depictions of males in African American society? What is the basis of these differences in character?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the parallels that the author draws between the Holocaust and the oppression of African Americans. How does the author indicate that World War II changed perceptions within the black community of white society? What did the fact of the Holocaust prove to the author?

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This section contains 896 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample