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This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Section 7: Part II--God’s Language, including the essays “The Trouble with Paradise” through “Faulkner and Woman”.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. In the story that opens "The Nobel Lecture in Literature," what do the children ask the old woman about?
(a) A baby.
(b) A bird.
(c) Death.
(d) Love.

2. According to Morrison, identifying the race of a subject can have what unintended consequence?
(a) Perpetuating stereotypes and marginalizing minorities.
(b) Inaccurately depicting race as "real" instead of as a "construct."
(c) Shaping public perception of whiteness.
(d) Better representation of marginalized communities.

3. In "Unspeakable Things Unspoken," Morrison introduces Rogin's commentary on Moby Dick for what purpose?
(a) As part of her explication of the timeline of Western literature.
(b) So that she can rebut Rogin's reading of Moby Dick.
(c) To highlight the importance of Black scholarship.
(d) As an example of how a canonical piece can be enriched by reading for the Black presence.

4. According to "Harlem on My Mind," why did the 1969 exhibit by the same name fail?
(a) The exhibit was too ambitious and tried to incorporate too many different kinds of art.
(b) New York was not ready for Black art in 1969, and attendance was very low.
(c) Critics did not understand the cultural aesthetics the exhibit represented.
(d) It contained racist materials and did not include much art by African American artists.

5. In "God's Language," what does Morrison say gets more attention than paradise?
(a) Race.
(b) Hell.
(c) Power.
(d) Money.

Short Answer Questions

1. In "Gertrude Stein and the Difference She Makes," Morrison calls the "merging of forms" one of the key aspects of what literary movement?

2. In "The Site of Memory," Morrison proposes to show how memoir is similar to and different from what?

3. In "Unspeakable Things Unspoken," Morrison says that what is different about the discussion of including African-American literature in the canon is that unlike earlier arguments over expanding the canon, this one does what?

4. According to Morrison's "Black Matter(s)," what is a key factor in national identity?

5. Who is Hannah Peace?

(see the answer key)

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