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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. Which of the following words does Morrison use to describe writers?

2. What does Morrison's work require her to consider?

3. Where does Morrison claim to apply the knowledge in Playing in the Dark?

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

5. Which type of artist does Morrison describe as being the most anarchic?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Morrison describe references to the novel Sapphira and the Slave Girl?

2. How does Morrison view other writers?

3. Describe Morrison's statement that the subject of the dream is the dreamer.

4. Which authors does Morrison describe as using black references in their work?

5. To Morrison, why are reading and writing not extremely distinct for a writer?

6. What are the prevalent themes in Sapphira and the Slave Girl?

7. Why doesn't Sapphira and the Slave Girl allow readers to ignore race?

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

9. What is the Byatt quote from Possession about?

10. What can happen if we learn about the way Africanism functions in the literary imagination?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Morrison describes the world as being genderized, sexualized, and racialized. Explain the effect these characteristics of the world have on Morrison as a writer as well as on people in general. Give three specific examples of how the world is genderized, sexualized, and racialized, one for each characteristic. Explain the consequences of living in a world with these qualities.

Essay Topic 2

Why is it significant to note that Africanist literature has a presence all over the world and not just in the United States? What are the consequences of this fact? Why is it important for Morrison to note that her goal is not to force a Eurocentric world into becoming an Afrocentric one?

Essay Topic 3

The duties of a persona include exorcism, reification, and mirroring. Identify and describe one example of each term in terms of Africanism presence in literature.

(see the answer keys)

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