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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. Irving recalls in Chapter 5: Within the Walls that in her childhood world, problems were deemed what?

2. In Chapter 6: From Confusion to Shock, Irving describes moving to the city of Cambridge in which state after college?

3. In Chapter 15: The Whole Story, Irving warns the reader of the dangers associated with what types of stories?

4. Who wrote the maxim, "All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing" (114)?

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

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

3. What message does Irving send in Chapter 3: Race Versus Class about the distinction between those two elements of society?

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

5. 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.

6. What is Irving's purpose for including a lengthy explanation of her mother's overall kindness in Chapter 1: What Wasn't Said?

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

8. In what area of the United States and in what kind of dwelling did Irving grow up?

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Choose an object from Waking Up White, such as an electrical shock or some other symbolic object and discuss its overall meaning and its connection to themes within the text.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss Irving's messages about motherhood within the text Waking Up White.

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the instances of irony within the narrative of Waking Up White and analyze Irving’s purpose for including each instance you discuss.

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