View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Irving points out in Chapter 16: Logos and Stereotypes that humans are the only creatures on earth who use which objects to make sense of their world?

2. When Irving was not yet ready to examine her own white privilege, which other quality of her identity did she decide to start with?

3. Irving describes her childhood neighborhood as being "almost exclusively" (24) what?

4. The sight of which objects put Irving at ease while she was in the care of a black professional in her early 20s?

5. Which word does Irving define as "a collective character that describes a set of beliefs and behaviors that identify the group" (79)?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe one theme present within the epigraph presented at the beginning of Waking Up White, and Finding Myself in the Story of Race.

2. How does Irving explore the origins of the desirability of white skin in Chapter 8: Racial Categories?

3. What solution does Irving offer for creating a more complete picture of American history?

4. Compare and contrast the answer Irving's mother gave her in Chapter 1: What Wasn't Said with the answer Irving believes should have been delivered.

5. Discuss the impact of the philosophy of colorblindness as it relates to the fight for social justice.

6. What major myth propagated within the population of Baby Boomers does Irving discuss in Chapter 4: Optimism?

7. For what purpose does Irving include an allusion to Norman Rockwell in Chapter 2: Family Values?

8. What is another term for inattentional blindness and what do the two terms mean?

9. How does Irving describe the connotations associated with the quality of whiteness in Chapter 9: White Superiority?

10. In what way does Irving use repetition to underscore the importance of her message in Chapter 14: Zap!?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the messages sent about the theme of appearance versus reality within Waking Up White.

Essay Topic 2

What ultimate message is Irving sending about the mythical qualities of the United States?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss Irving’s use of metaphor, simile, imagery, and other literary devices as a means to send particular thematic messages within the narrative of Waking Up White.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 973 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample