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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. The author states in "Down at the Cross" that the "principles governing the rites and customs of the churches in which I grew up did not differ from the principles governing the rites and customs of other chuches, white. The principles were Blindness, Lonelines, and" what?

2. The author writes in "Down at the Cross," "It was absolutely clear that the police would whip you and take you in as long as" what?

3. 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?

4. What author does the narrator describe beginning to read when he began losing his faith in "Down at the Cross"?

5. In becoming a successful Young Minister, the author describes his rivalry with whom, in "Down at the Cross"?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

4. How would you describe the tone in the second section of "Down at the Cross"? How has the author's perspective changed?

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

6. What is noteworthy about the quotes that open "Down at the Cross"?

7. How does the author describe his religious faith to Elijah Muhammad in "Down at the Cross"?

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

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

10. What does the author point out as the failings of Christianity and Islam in "Down at the Cross"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe and discuss Elijah Muhammad and his characterization in "Down at the Cross." When did Elijah Muhammad take over the leadership of the Nation Of Islam? How does the author describe his home and his experiences at dinner with Elijah Muhammad? How does the author compare Elijah Muhammad with his father?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the theme of identity in The Fire Next Time. How does the author illustrate this theme in "Down at the Cross"? How is the theme explored in "My Dungeon Shook"? What factors impact the white man and the black man's sense of identity?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the title of the book. Where in the essays does the author cite a quotation that includes the book's title? What is referred to in this Biblical allusion? How does this quote relate to the themes in "Down at the Cross" and "My Dungeon Shook"?

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