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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 author writes in Chapter 5, "Exactly why we survive and can look back with furrowed brow is" what?

2. What word in Chapter 5 means to cease resistance to an enemy or opponent and submit to their authority?

3. What does the author describe happening at the drugstore in Chapter 5?

4. In a poetic monologue in Chapter 6, the author writes, "The hearts of my brothers are" what?

5. Who were the Jena Six convicted of beating?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Hurricane Katrina symbolize for the author?

2. What are some examples of imagery (simile, metaphor, etc.) in Chapter 5?

3. How does the author's language and narrative style change in Chapter 5?

4. How does the author describe the effects of Hurricane Katrina in Chapter 6?

5. How is the theme of anger explored in Chapter 6?

6. What is the author referring to when she writes "I was creating a life study of a monumental first person, a Brahmin first person"?

7. How is the theme of being forgotten explored in Chapter 6?

8. Why does the author discuss eating cereal in Chapter 5?

9. What color is explored in Chapter 5? What does this color represent for the author?

10. How is the theme of the pain of prejudice explored in Chapter 6?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe and discuss the murder of James Craig Anderson. When and where was James Craig Anderson murdered? Who killed him? How? What were the impacts of James Craig Anderson's murder?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the symbolism of words and language in Citizen: An American Lyric. What does the author compare words to? What power do words and language have? How can words and language hurt?

Essay Topic 3

Define and discuss "affirmative action" and how it is applied in the book. When was affirmative action introduced in the United States? How did it change race relations? How did it impact the quality of life for African Americans?

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