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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 was the name of the establishment where the Melodeers ate their meals while in Atlanta?

2. What type of accommodations were promised to the Melodeers prior to leaving for Atlanta?

3. Where is Atlanta located?

4. Who is the author of Native Son?

5. How does Baldwin describe a "new society" in the book, Notes of a Native Son?

Short Essay Questions

1. According to Baldwin, how do the Europeans react to the American Negro's presence in Paris?

2. Describe the appearance and the role of Mrs. Branson Price.

3. Why does Baldwin criticize Richard Wright's book, Native Son?

4. Why does Baldwin not praise the movie Carmen Jones and its cast for breaking racial barriers?

5. What is Henry Wallace's role in the Progressive Party?

6. What roles does religion play in the life of the Negro?

7. Why did many of the Americans that chose to study in Paris after the war, return to the United States?

8. Describe Baldwin's tone in Everybody's Protest Novel.

9. How does Baldwin describe the Richard Wright's book, Native Son?

10. Why is Baldwin living a bleak life in Paris before he befriends a man from New York?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Notes of a Native Son is a collection of essays written by James Baldwin to illuminate the life conditions of the Negro people during the 1940s and 1950s pre-civil rights era.

In your opinion, what audience did Baldwin want to read this book? Who was his target audience? Did he write his book for African Americans, Whites, Non-Americans, etc? Why do you think he wrote the book for the audience you have identified as his target audience? Please use examples from the book to support your answer.

Essay Topic 2

In the essay Journey to Atlanta, Baldwin retells the story of the Melodeers' trip to Atlanta. What types of style and tone techniques does Baldwin use in this essay and for what purpose does he use these forms? Please use examples from the book to support your answer.

Essay Topic 3

Based on Baldwin's essays Carmen Jones: The Dark is Light Enough and The Harlem Ghetto, what role did media (i.e. newspapers, magazines, and film) have on the life of the Negro in the 1940s and 1950s? Please use examples from the book to support your answer.

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