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. Which celestial orb does the author use in "Evening Song" to describe Cloine?

2. How does Esther think that men feel about her?

3. Where does the whistle mark the end of the day's shift?

4. At twenty-two, how does Esther decide that she feels about Barlo?

5. According to the cotton song, how does God feel about picking cotton?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why won't Muriel go with Dan?

2. How does Becky survive without the ability to work on her own?

3. Why might Toomer have used the voice of the cotton picker?

4. How does Louisa feel about Tom Burwell and Bob Stone?

5. As Karintha becomes a woman, what do young men do for her?

6. What does Fern do with her days?

7. What seems to be the overall emotional impression of the woman described in "Face"?

8. Why might Toomer have chosen to use the comparative descriptor of a flower when detailing the storm in "Storm Ending"?

9. What does the speaker ultimately decide to do about his hunger in "Harvest Song"?

10. What is Barlo's reaction to Esther when she is 29 and comes for him?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In sections one and two of "Cane," we see a significant shift from viewing the experience of the rural African American to the urban African American. Compare and contrast the experience for rural and urban African Americans as depicted in "Cane".

Essay Topic 2

Women play a huge role in Jean Toomer's "Cane". How are they depicted? Does Toomer seem to respect or disrespect women? Which characters do we see supporting this assertion?

Essay Topic 3

Throughout the racially charged "Cane," we see depictions of white men. How are they shown? In what ways do they interact with the Black community? How do they deal with racial stratification?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 723 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample