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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 poem of Hughes won first prize in Witter Bynner's Intercollegiate Undergraduate Poetry Contest in 1926?

2. What was Bruce the chef's reaction to being fired from the Grand Duc?

3. Who brought the disciples of Gurdjieff to Harlem?

4. What were some of the stops Hughes's ship made while on its route to and from Havana?

5. Why did Hughes want to return to college?

Short Essay Questions

1. What benefit cabaret was hosted by the NAACP to which Hughes was invited? Who did he meet there? Who was singing at the club when he entered?

2. What was "Not Without Laughter"? Why was it important in Hughes's life?

3. What survey did Hughes conduct at his college during his senior year? Why was this issue important to Hughes?

4. What was hazing at Lincoln University? What kinds of things did hazing involve? What was Hughes's initiation ritual for his fraternity?

5. What were some of the places in Italy Hughes saw aboard the ship headed for New York? What happened to him in Valencia?

6. Who was Bruce? Why did he become upset at work? What happened when the boss fired him? How did this affect Hughes?

7. Who was Hughes's distinguished visitor? Why was the visit an important one?

8. How did Hughes describe the wedding of Countee Cullen? Why was the wedding the talk of Harlem for a time? How was Hughes involved?

9. Why did Hughes go to Washington D.C. after landing in New York?

10. How did Hughes's patron feel about black in America? How did this manifest itself in her relationship with Hughes?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Hughes was asked to participate in a interracial conference at Franklin and Marshall College. He related two important stories, one about how he and Alain Locke were treated at Hill School in Pennsylvania and another about the practical and meaningful topic he suggested be discussed at the conference. Discuss these two stories and what they meant to Hughes and how they affected his life at college and after.

Essay Topic 2

Hughes decided to attend Lincoln University, an all black college, when he received a scholarship. How was his experience at Lincoln different than that of Columbia University? What did Hughes identify as a major problem at Lincoln, and what did he attempt to do about it? Was he successful?

Essay Topic 3

Hughes titled one of the chapters in his autobiography "Distinguished Visitor." This visitor brought with him the beginnings of major fame for Hughes. Discuss the visitor and what he had to offer Hughes. Who did he introduce Hughes to that influenced his career? Why was this visitor important throughout Hughes's career?

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