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. What does the narrator feel was his primary fault 20 years earlier?

2. Where does Bledsoe tell the narrator to go?

3. What does the narrator see as he is watching people leave the chapel?

4. What is the real purpose of the Reverend's speech?

5. Ellison's original story was written about which of the following?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why was the narrator doomed to fail at the paint factory?

2. What is the objective of Rev. Barbee's sermon?

3. Why does the narrator say he is invisible?

4. Why does Mr. Norton give Jim Trueblood $100?

5. Why is Harlem a particularly appropriate setting for the novel?

6. Explain the irony of the sign "Keep American Pure with Liberty Paints."

7. What does the narrator notice while waiting for his appointment with the trustees?

8. What does Dr. Bledsoe mean by "acting the nigger."

9. What does the veteran at the Golden Day understand that the narrator does not?

10. How does the setting in chapter 5 provide additional foreshadowing?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Early in the novel, the graduating black boys are deliberately used as cruel sport for the white men at a club. Norton is at the club with all the other white men. Norton does not care about the black boys any more than anyone else does. Therefore, what is his purpose at the college? Explain the things that Mr. Norton and Brother Jack have in common.

Essay Topic 2

What does the narrator mean when he talks about "existing outside of history"? Where does he envision himself by the end of the story? Since he never tells us his name, has he ultimately clarified or further obscured his self-discovery and identity?

Essay Topic 3

The narrator's grandfather tries to explain how he himself had failed the black people. What does the narrator initially not understand about the concept of "yessing" them to death? How does he eventually understand and adopt the idea? What conclusion does he finally draw about appearing to agree while actually plotting against someone?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 870 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample