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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. In "The Trouble with Paradise," Morrison claims that in the modern world, what has become "trivial"?
(a) Justice.
(b) Paradise.
(c) Morailty.
(d) Religion.

2. In "Hard, True, and Lasting," Morrison says that what feeling is the first one writers feel when they begin to write?
(a) Independence.
(b) Gratitude.
(c) Love.
(d) Separateness.

3. In "The Source of Self-Regard," what image does Morrison say she uses to convey the horrors of slavery?
(a) A whip.
(b) Shackles.
(c) A bit.
(d) Chains.

4. In "The Site of Memory," Morrison says that a large part of her "literary heritage" is what?
(a) Poetry.
(b) The Western canon.
(c) Autobiography.
(d) Fiction.

5. In "The Writer Before the Page," Morrison explains what about the structure of her novels?
(a) She is frustrated when the parts feel fragmentary.
(b) She always begins with a careful outline.
(c) She finds chapter and part designations unhelpful.
(d) She dislikes nonlinear narrative.

Short Answer Questions

1. In "Grendel and His Mother," Morrison notes the significance of what characteristic of Grendel's mother?

2. In "The Source of Self-Regard," Morrison recounts being asked how to teach one of her books when what was true?

3. In "The Source of Self-Regard," which two of her works does Morrison chiefly discuss?

4. What is the purpose of the Edvard Munch quote in "Memory, Creation, and Fiction"?

5. In "Academic Whispers," Morrison compares African American literature to what?

Short Essay Questions

1. In “Faulkner and Women," what does Morrison say Faulkner's influence on her has been?

2. In “The Site of Memory," what reasons does Morrison give for finding her inclusion in an anthology about memoir to be both strange and appropriate?

3. In “Introduction of Peter Sellars," what are the main points of Morrison's praise for Peter Sellars as an artist?

4. In “Gertrude Stein and the Difference She Makes," what confuses Morrison about Stein's portrayal of Rose?

5. In “Academic Whispers," what does Morrison say used to annoy her about being asked to speak about racism?

6. In “Memory, Creation, and Fiction," what Black cultural aesthetic expectations does Morrison discuss as important in her work, and why is it important to her to use them?

7. According to “The Writer Before the Page," why does Morrison use allusions to folktales in her writing?

8. In “Invisible Ink," Morrison proposes that current ways of thinking about the interaction between reader and text are missing an element: the "invisible ink" that can manipulate the reader. Explain what she means by this.

9. In “The Source of Self-Regard," what does Morrison say made her uncomfortable about the letters she received from students, and why did it make her feel this way?

10. What point is Morrison trying to illustrate when she brings up the origins of Ancient Greece in “Unspeakable Things Unspoken"?

(see the answer keys)

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