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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. What does Bigger do after he puts Mary to bed?

2. How does Bigger feel about Mary Dalton?

3. Where does Mary suggest she, Jan and Bigger go to eat?

4. What does Bigger tell his friend Gus he could do if he had the chance?

5. On Bigger's first night at work, what does he, Mary and Jan do as they drive around the park?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Bigger get so angry and violent with Gus when he says he'll go along with the robbery?

2. After Bigger realized Mary was dead, why didn't he even consider just telling the truth?

3. Why do the Dalton's make Bigger feel so uncomfortable?

4. What happened when Mary's body didn't fit into the furnace?

5. Why does Bigger seem to take an instant dislike to Mary Dalton?

6. What is the symbolism of the two movies Bigger and his friends saw?

7. Explain the game, "White," that Bigger and his friends played.

8. How does Bigger feel about his family?

9. What were Bigger's two final concerns about the burning body?

10. After all the gory details of the way he disposed of Mary's body, how was Bigger reacting?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

There are places in the story where Bigger demonstrates a keen ability to visualize a situation ahead of time to evaluate the outcomes. Was this an advantage or disadvantage to him in the story? Give examples in the essay.

Essay Topic 2

At the very end of the story Max is upset when Bigger comes to the conclusion that it must have been good that he killed. In an essay explain Bigger's reasoning and how he came to that conclusion. Also explain what Max is trying to make Bigger understand after he comes to this conclusion. Why might the two men have different views on this subject?

Essay Topic 3

Symbolism of words "White" and "Black"

The author of this novel, Richard Wright, has used the words "Black" and "White" heavily throughout this novel. Write an essay on the symbolism of these words, using several examples of each from the novel. Include whether or not the words influenced you at all as you read it.

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