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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. According to Morrison, identifying the race of a subject can have what unintended consequence?

2. In "The Habit of Art," Morrison tells the anecdote about Antigone in Haiti to illustrate what point?

3. In "Arts Advocacy," Morrison recounts discovering that a highly regarded artist vetoed funding for another artist for what reason?

4. Morrison's discussion of Huckleberry Finn in "Black Matter(s)" is intended as an illustration of what?

5. "The War Against Error" is a fifteenth and sixteenth century effort to eliminate what kind of error?

Short Essay Questions

1. In “Race Matters," what story does Morrison tell about the ending of Beloved, and why does she tell this story?

2. Explain how, according to Morrison's "Wartalk," the language around war has changed and when these changes occurred.

3. In “Literature and Public Life," what does Morrison blame television for, and what does she propose as a solution?

4. In “The Nobel Lecture in Literature," what is the story that Morrison uses to frame her speech?

5. In “The Dead of September 11,” Morrison alludes to a famous speech. What speech does she allude to and what is the purpose of this allusion?

6. In “The Habit of Art," why does Morrison allude to Antigone?

7. In “The Slavebody and the Blackbody,” how does Morrison differentiate between these two kinds of bodies, and why does she bother?

8. In “The Nobel Lecture in Literature," Morrison explains why oppressive language is a problem: what effects does she claim it has?

9. In “Black Matter(s)," what point is Morrison illustrating with the excerpt she includes from Bailyn's Voyagers of the West?

10. in “The Price of Wealth, the Cost of Care," what stages does Morrison trace the evolution of Western culture's attitude toward the accumulation of money?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In “Literature and Public Life,” Morrison claims that television has a narrative power that is harmful to society. Do you agree with this in whole or in part, or do you disagree? What is your reasoning for your position?

Essay Topic 2

In "On Beloved," Morrison offers a metaphorical comparison between an image or piece of language and a key, and compares untraveled literary territory to an area locked behind a large locked door. Explain what she means by this comparison and how it relates to her writing of Beloved.

Essay Topic 3

In “Moral Inhabitants,” Morrison lists several “Great Men” from American history and describes their views on race. Explain how this list functions in the larger context of “Moral Inhabitants.” What is the purpose of the list, and how does it accomplish its aims?

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