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| Name: _________________________ | Period: ___________________ |
This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.
Short Answer Questions
1. In "Gertrude Stein and the Difference She Makes," Morrison calls the "merging of forms" one of the key aspects of what literary movement?
2. In "Invisible Ink," Morrison says that she deliberately introduces ambiguity into her novels for what purpose?
3. In "Hard, True, and Lasting," Morrison says that she can tolerate being alienated from the dominant culture because she knows what?
4. In "Unspeakable Things Unspoken," Morrison brings up Bernal's two models of Greek history in order to illustrate what point?
5. In "Goodbye to All That," Morrison uses examples of literary partings between Black and white women to demonstrate what?
Short Essay Questions
1. In “God’s Language," what does Morrison say is the problem with trying to use modern language to describe Biblical concepts?
2. In “The Source of Self-Regard," what does Morrison describe as some of the contradictions that jazz contains?
3. In “Unspeakable Things Unspoken," what does Morrison say she is trying to evoke with the image of nightshade in the beginning of Sula?
4. In "On Beloved," Morrison discusses Sula and Beloved in the context of feminism; what is the relationship of these two texts to feminism?
5. 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.
6. In “James Baldwin Eulogy,” what does Morrison describe as Baldwin's contribution to language?
7. What point is Morrison trying to illustrate when she brings up the origins of Ancient Greece in “Unspeakable Things Unspoken"?
8. According to “The Writer Before the Page," what is the relationship between Hannah Peace and Sula?
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. In “Academic Whispers," what three reasons does Morrison say are poor reasons to include African American literature in the canon?
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
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?
Essay Topic 2
In “Gertrude Stein and the Difference She Makes,” Morrison offers a critique of the relationship of Mark Twain, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Herman Melville, and Edgar Allan Poe to the natural world. Explain the basis of her critique and evaluate the strength of the evidence she offers in her discussion of each author.
Essay Topic 3
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.
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This section contains 1,089 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) |
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