1. The author cites Lillian Hellman's autobiography as an example of what kind of phenomenon?
(a) An early white feminist who listened to women of color.
(b) White women being afraid to tell their domestic servants what to do.
(c) White women projecting mythical power and strength on black women while presenting themselves as powerless.
(d) An rare example of working class writing.

2. What was the author's initial experience in women's groups?
(a) White women did not treat women of color as equals.
(b) No one would look at her.
(c) Everyone was really open-minded.
(d) She found solidarity with women from very different backgrounds.

3. When and where did the author enroll in her first women's studies class?
(a) At UCLA in the late 1960s.
(b) At Howard in the 1970s.
(c) At Stanford in the 1970s.
(d) At Brown in the early 1980s.

4. What name did early feminists use to describe radical, or revolutionary, feminists?
(a) Sisters.
(b) Traitors.
(c) Naive.
(d) Spoilers.

5. How has the author's own perception of her book held up?
(a) She comments that the book's theories are still sound, still relevant, and easily understandable by contemporary readers from all walks of life.
(b) She feels that a lot of her theories are now outdated.
(c) She believes that her ideas are too radical.
(d) The theories in the book do not have a mass appeal.

Short Answer Questions

1. According to the author, in Chapter 1, "Black Women - Shaping Feminist Theory," what were black feminists initially trying to do in the feminist movement?

2. For the author, which two main terms had been left out of feminist discussions when she first published her book?

3. "The problem that has no name" is a quotation by which author?

4. In the Preface (2000), what examples does the author give of the problematic status of women in contemporary society?

5. In the author's view, what three things most determine a woman's destiny?

(see the answer key)

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