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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. In "Gertrude Stein and the Difference She Makes," Morrison posits that the "Lone" Ranger is "lone" because of what?
(a) His gender.
(b) Hiding his face behind a mask.
(c) His race.
(d) The presence of Tonto.

2. In "The Site of Memory," Morrison remarks on the absence of what in slave narratives?
(a) Depictions of the narrator's interior life.
(b) Sophisticated use of language.
(c) Historical accuracy.
(d) Details of everyday life on the plantations.

3. In "Grendel and His Mother," what omission from Beowulf does Morrison say is significant?
(a) Grendel's motivation.
(b) The impact of Grendel's actions on the Danes.
(c) Grendel's relationship with his mother.
(d) The character of Grendel's father.

4. In "The Site of Memory," Morrison says that slave narratives had two purposes: one was to record the life of an individual human being, and the other was what?
(a) To contribute to the historical record.
(b) To advance the cause of abolition.
(c) To condemn their former masters.
(d) To rebut narratives by plantation owners.

5. In "Unspeakable Things Unspoken," Morrison comments that race was once used to exclude Blacks, but now that they want their race represented, they are told it does not exist. What function does this detail perform?
(a) It adds a comic note that breaks the tension of a series of upsetting images.
(b) It introduces a nostalgic tone that supports Morrison's argument with an element of pathos.
(c) It is a straw-man version of the counterclaims Morrison is trying to undermine.
(d) It ironically illustrates the constantly shifting rationale for exclusion.

Short Answer Questions

1. In "Academic Whispers," who does Morrison say should be asked to speak about racism?

2. In "Memory, Creation, and Fiction," why does Morrison say that her work can properly be considered "Black" writing?

3. Which is the best definition of "churlish" as used in "Unspeakable Things Unspoken"?

4. In "God's Language," what does Morrison say is the place of religion in African American culture?

5. In "Faulkner and Women," whom does Morrison say she imagines when as a reader when she is writing?

Short Essay Questions

1. In “Rememory," Morrison describes her writing process using memory and explains how it is similar to a thematic and narrative element in one of her books. What is her process, and which book's narrative does she see it reflected in.

2. In “The Trouble with Paradise," what does Morrison mean when she says that fiction writers have to stare unblinking into the "realm of difference"?

3. In “Faulkner and Women," what does Morrison say Faulkner's influence on her has been?

4. In “Invisible Ink," Morrison proposes that current ways of thinking about the interaction between reader and text are missing an element: the "invisible ink" that can manipulate the reader. Explain what she means by this.

5. According to “The Writer Before the Page," what is the relationship between Hannah Peace and Sula?

6. In “The Source of Self-Regard," what does Morrison say made her uncomfortable about the letters she received from students, and why did it make her feel this way?

7. In “The Site of Memory," what does Morrison say about how image and memory interacted for her in relation to her father's death and Song of Solomon?

8. In “Invisible Ink," what does Morrison say bothers her about the association of the word "pleasure" with reading?

9. In “Academic Whispers," what does Morrison say used to annoy her about being asked to speak about racism?

10. In “Memory, Creation, and Fiction," what Black cultural aesthetic expectations does Morrison discuss as important in her work, and why is it important to her to use them?

(see the answer keys)

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