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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. Who sang at A'Lelia Walker's funeral?

2. Where was Hughes robbed of his money and his passport?

3. What did Hughes say was a "big sea full of fish?"

4. What did Dr. Locke offer to do for Hughes while both men were in Italy?

5. Why did Hughes never go to the Cotton Club in Harlem?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. Who was Annette, and why was she fired from the Grand Duc? What happened on her last night at the club?

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

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

5. What poem did Hughes submit to "Opportunity" magazine owned by the National Urban League? What was the poem about? What happened to the poem that changes Hughes's life?

6. What did Florence do after the brawl at the Grand Duc? How did this affect the club and what did the owner finally do?

7. What club did white people come into Harlem to drink and listen to music? Why did Hughes not go to this club? How did most Harlem blacks feel about this club?

8. What was "Shuffle Along" and why was it important in the history of the Black Renaissance in Harlem of the 1920s? Who were some of the important blacks associated with music in the 1920s in Harlem.

9. How did Hughes conclude his story of the racial survey at Lincoln? What changes did he witness at the school and in how many years?

10. Who did Hughes call the "great Harlem party giver?" How did Hughes describe the parties and the hostess?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

When he was a child, Hughes lived with the Reeds who not only saw to his care and education but also to his religious development. One incident at church was a particularly important one for Hughes. What happened to him at the Reed's church? How did his behavior affect the Reeds? How did it affect Hughes? How did this experience change his life?

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

In his autobiography, Hughes only mentions two women in whom he was romantically interested: Suzanna Jones from high school and Mary in Paris. The more important relationship was with Mary. Discuss their relationship. Who was Mary, and how did they meet? Did Hughes reveal how he really felt about Mary? What happened to their love affair, and how did it affect Hughes?

(see the answer keys)

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