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This test consists of 5 short answer questions and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who traveled with Baldwin to visit his dying father on Long Island?

2. What reason does Baldwin give for not believing that ex-GIs traveled to Paris to study?

3. What war is discussed in the chapter entitled A Question of Identity?

4. Where was Baldwin's father born?

5. What other event shared the same date as the funeral of Baldwin's father?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In the chapter Many Thousands Gone, Baldwin describes what it means to be a "Native Son" for black men. In a later essay, Notes of a Native Son, Baldwin describes his life as a "Native Son." How does Baldwin's description compare to his personal account? In what ways are they similar? In what ways are they different? Please use examples from the book to support your answer.

Essay Topic 2

Compare and contrast Baldwin's experiences as a Negro in America to his experiences in Paris and Switzerland. How are these experiences similar? How are these experiences different? Please use examples from the book to support your answer.

Essay Topic 3

Baldwin describes his relationship with his father in Notes of a Native Son. After his father's death, Baldwin feels a sense of melancholy that he never had a chance to bond with his father. Why do you think Baldwin feels this way? What regrets, if any, do you think Baldwin had at the end of his father's life? Please use examples from the book to support your answer.

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This section contains 308 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample