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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. What kind of parade does Irving use as an example of exclusivity in schools?

2. What event does Irving use as a means of illustrating the lack of a level playing field in America?

3. The activity at the end of Chapter 26: Surviving and Thriving asks the reader to think about a time when they were treated in what manner?

4. What kind of stores found themselves unable to keep up with demand in the wake of Barack Obama's election to the presidency?

5. How old was Irving when she demanded to know why her 19-year-old sister Diane was not being allowed to see the film A Patch of Blue?

Short Essay Questions

1. What major mistake does Irving consider herself to have made during her project meant to serve inner city youth?

2. How does Irving go about outlining the privilege inherent in her own life?

3. Explain the concept of dysfunctional rescuing.

4. What did Irving learn from her experience with the mirror one year into her "waking-up process" (199)?

5. What proactive step did Irving take along with another mother at her daughter's preschool?

6. What does Irving mean in Chapter 36: The Dominant White Culture when she writes, "I never felt white; I just felt like Debby" (212)?

7. What is the symbolism of the calabash fruit, as discussed in Chapter 33: Perception and Fear?

8. In what way does Irving link the themes of oppression and brutality within Chapter 34: Becomiing Multicultural?

9. What major goal discussed in Chapter 22: did it take Irving years to accomplish?

10. How did Irving first become familiar with the city of Cambridge and for how many years had she lived there at the time of her writing?

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

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

Essay Topic 3

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

(see the answer keys)

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