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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 reason does Shorty give for not joining Richard?

2. What is Matther's nickname?

3. What does kind of company does Richard join?

4. What does Yound accuse Swann of being?

5. What does Richard say he wants his bridge of words to connect with?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens when Richard joins the May Day parade?

2. Why does Richard find Chicago so startling?

3. Why does Bill terrify Richard?

4. How do Richard's co-workers react when he tells them he is moving North?

5. Who was Marcus Garvey?

6. Why does Shorty amuse Richard?

7. How do Richard's white co-workers in the cafe shock him?

8. How does Richard borrow books from the white library?

9. Why do the black Communists mock Richard?

10. What does Richard decide at the end of the book?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the values of early 20th century America

1) How did the whites view blacks in the early 20th century?

2) What significant changes do you think occurred during this period that changed the way whites viewed blacks?

3) Does today's society share any values with early 20th century America?

Essay Topic 2

Examine Wright's writing style. How would you describe the prose style? What kind of vocabulary does he use? Does he use any specific writing techniques? What meaning does Wright's style give to his story?

Essay Topic 3

Why did Richard develop sympathies towards the Communist Party? How did Wright view Communist ideas later on in life?

(see the answer keys)

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