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. For what period of time did "the zap factor" (92) shape Irving's behavior?

2. In which U.S. state did an ancestor of Irving's establish New Salem Academy by applying for a land grant?

3. Irving conceives of tailwinds as forces working toward the efforts of which group?

4. Irving advocates for which narrative to become one among many telling the story of America's history?

5. What is NOT a way in which Irving describes the idea of whiteness remaining constant over time in Chapter 9: White Superiority?

Short Essay Questions

1. What was the Carlisle School and what effect did it have on the rest of the country?

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

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

4. What is the symbolism of the set of diplomas described in Chapter 16: Logos and Stereotypes?

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

6. What is the significance of Jean Elliott's experimentation in 1968?

7. Which movement within history does Irving wish her parents had discussed with her?

8. Which characteristic did Irving's father stress above all others and why is this fact ironic?

9. What is the motivation for the dominant culture's stance regarding America as either a melting pot or a mosaic?

10. How does Irving explain the difference between a mosaic and a melting pot?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay that discusses the symbolism of the cover art chosen for Waking Up White.

Essay Topic 3

Discuss Irving's purpose for juxtaposing at least two different locations in a particular way within the text of Waking Up White.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 851 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample