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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. The activity at the end of Chapter 9: White Superiority asks readers to explain how they feel about which term?

2. At what age did Irving graduate from college, effectively ending the unexamined part of her life?

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

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

5. In Chapter 12: Icebergs, Irving uses an episode of which classic television show to illustrate the "capacity for self-reinforced thinking" (79)?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

9. Irving asserts that when which three elements are added together, they equal systemic racism?

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

What is Irving's message regarding the difference between awareness and activism and how does Irving get this message across to the reader?

Essay Topic 2

How do the themes of self-deception and secrecy function within Waking Up White and what is Irving’s message regarding these themes?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss Irving’s messages concerning the nature of optimism. Does the text indicate that it is dangerous or crucial? Choose one adjective and prove its validity using concrete details from the text.

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