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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. Whom does the author claim "no one has ever accused her of being bitter" in "My Dungeon Shook"?

2. What word from "My Dungeon Shook" refers to extremely cruel and brutal behavior?

3. How does the author describe the recipient's character in "My Dungeon Shook"?

4. Charles Dickens is regarded as the greatest novelist of what era?

5. When was E. Franklin Frazier born?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does the author remark about love and survival in "My Dungeon Shook"?

2. How is the title of the essay employed in "My Dungeon Shook"?

3. How does James Baldwin describe his father's defeat in "My Dungeon Shook"?

4. How is the essay "My Dungeon Shook" formatted and structured?

5. How does the author suggest his nephew perceive the "details and symbols of your life" in "My Dungeon Shook"?

6. What does the author claim to be the only way you can be destroyed in "My Dungeon Shook"?

7. Who is E. Franklin Frazier and why does the author cite him in "My Dungeon Shook"?

8. What does the author say the world has done to his brother in "My Dungeon Shook"?

9. How does the author define the word "integration" in the conclusion of "My Dungeon Shook"?

10. How does the author describe his relationship with his brother in "My Dungeon Shook"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the title of the book. Where in the essays does the author cite a quotation that includes the book's title? What is referred to in this Biblical allusion? How does this quote relate to the themes in "Down at the Cross" and "My Dungeon Shook"?

Essay Topic 2

Describe and discuss the author's literary allusions in The Fire Next Time. What poets and authors does Baldwin cite in the essays? What is the significance of his choices on these authors? How do the works of these authors and poets relate thematically to The Fire Next Time?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the theme of racial oppression in "My Dungeon Shook." How does the author illustrate examples of racial oppression? What are his opinions and perceptions of the oppression faced by black Americans? How does the author propose to overcome oppression?

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