View a FREE sample

1. What was life like for Black children when Black's father was growing up?

When Black's father was growing up, Black children meant nothing. Many of them, including him, did not have a birth certificate. Their existence centered around work and church. The church taught them that they were sinners and scoundrels. They were allowed to go to school only when there was not work to be done, which was not very often.

2. Why does Jacob write to Isaac?

Jacob is dying of cancer. There are some things that he wants to tell Isaac. He wants him to know why he did what he did. So Jacob is writing to Isaac so Isaac can understand the relationship between them.

3. What were men and women's roles in the 1960s?

In the 1960s when Isaac was born, love was not an achievement for men. Love was a woman's passion and a mother's hope. Fathers had other obsessions: food, shelter, clothing, and protection. Jacob's job was to ensure that Isaac had those things, and he did that.

(read all 60 Short Essay Questions and Answers)

This section contains 4,027 words (approx. 14 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample