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 two things does Morrison claim not to be extremely distinct for a writer?

2. What does Morrison describe Sapphira and the Slave Girl as being an example of?

3. What does Morrison believe we need to learn about to discover the nature and cause of literary whiteness?

4. Who is the second author Morrison mentions as including black references in his or her work?

5. According to Cardinal, what does America plan to slaughter?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Toni Morrison think about Marie Cardinal's book?

2. Describe the character Sapphira and her motives.

3. What are Morrison's intentions in studying Africanism?

4. What does it mean when Morrison says that her vulnerability lies in romanticizing blackness?

5. What is the Byatt quote from Possession about?

6. Describe the dichotomies Morrison presents as being necessary for black people to fulfill.

7. What does Morrison believe studies of racism focus on?

8. After reading the preface, what can the reader expect Morrison to discuss?

9. What type of language does Morrison struggle with?

10. Describe The Words to Say It and its subject matter.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How does Hemingway portray race in his work? How is Hemingway distant from African-Americans in his work? What does this tell the reader? How does Hemingway show the difference between males and females? How does he relate this to race?

Essay Topic 2

In Morrison's Playing in the Dark, she discusses the dichotomies that black people are encouraged to fit into. Black people in literature are seen as markers for the benevolent and wicked, spiritual and voluptuous, sinful and enticing, and pure and restrained. Discuss an example of each of these dichotomies. Then explain why it is harmful for black people to be pushed into these roles constantly in literature.

Essay Topic 3

Analyze Morrison's comments about Willa Cather's novel Sapphira and the Slave Girl. What does Morrison have to say about the novel? Why does she say it would be meaningless without Africanist characters and the pedestal of racial degradation? Is this true?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 755 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample