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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 claims that we owe the ministry of Elijah Muhammad to the fact that he witnessed what when he was five or six years old?

2. What does the author claim to be the seeming "sum of our achievement" as humans, in "Down at the Cross"?

3. Where does the author describe listening to the Muslim speakers in "Down at the Cross"?

4. What kind of athletic career does the author describe pursuing but not succeeding at in "Down at the Cross"?

5. About how old does the author describe the female pastor as being when he met her in "Down at the Cross"?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. How does the author describe his departure from Elijah Muhammad's home in "Down at the Cross"?

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

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

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

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

7. What is the subject of the hymn that opens "Down at the Cross"? How does this quote tie in with the essay's themes?

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 his religious faith to 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 the author's encounter with the driver after leaving Elijah Muhammad's home in "Down at the Cross." What did the two discuss? What conclusions did they reach in their discussion? How did the author feel about this exchange?

Essay Topic 2

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 3

Discuss the Emancipation Proclamation and the author's references to it in "My Dungeon Shook." When was the Emancipation Proclamation enacted? Who enacted it? What did it guarantee? How does the author refer to it in his essay?

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