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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 does the author describe the pimps and whores hanging out in Harlem in "Down at the Cross"?

2. In describing his dinner at Elijah Muhammad's home, the author states, "I began to see that Elijah's power came from his" what?

3. 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"?

4. How late was the author when he arrived for dinner at Elijah Muhammad's home?

5. 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"?

Short Essay Questions

1. What "truth" does the author describe finding through this experiences with Christianity?

2. How does the author perceive the expression of pain and suffering of blacks through Christianity?

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

4. What does the author remark about the Holocaust in "Down at the Cross"?

5. How would you describe the author's sense of anger in the beginning of "Down at the Cross"?

6. In the second section of "Down at the Cross," the author points out many reasons that American society is not healed in relation to race. How does he propose it might become healed?

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

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

9. How does the author describe the racial perspectives in the Nation of Islam's belief system?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

When was the Nation of Islam founded? Who founded the church? What were the Nation Of Islam's mission and objectives at this time? How has the organization changed in the past 50 years?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the theme of anger in The Fire Next Time. How is the author's own anger revealed in the essays? What does the author remark about the anger of others? How does the author perceive his own anger?

Essay Topic 3

How does the author compare Christianity with the beliefs and ideals of the Nation of Islam? In what ways are these religions similar to the author? How do they differ?

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