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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. In "Moral Inhabitants," what is the list of American leaders meant to demonstrate?

2. What does Morrison praise the National Endowment for the Arts for in "The Individual Artist"?

3. What question does Morrison say is at the center of of government?

4. Mass migration, according to Morrison, causes what to happen?

5. In "The Individual Artist," what does Morrison find interesting about the feud between literary critics from different schools of criticism?

Short Essay Questions

1. In “The Nobel Lecture in Literature," Morrison explains why oppressive language is a problem: what effects does she claim it has?

2. In “Tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr.," what are the things that Morrison says Dr. King believed in?

3. According to Morrison's “Women, Race, and Memory," what are the assumptions behind infighting among women?

4. In “Women, Race, and Memory” how does Morrison describe the way "non-aligned" women are viewed by feminists and anti-feminists, and how do non-aligned women view them?

5. In “War Against Error," what does Morrison propose as a new "curriculum," and what does she hope it will accomplish?

6. In her speech “Cinderella’s Stepsisters," what is the purpose of the allusion to Cinderella?

7. In “Black Matter(s)," what main points does Morrison make about the alleged race-neutrality of American history?

8. In “The Individual Artist," what does Morrison say is the unique value of the National Endowment for the Arts?

9. In “Wartalk,” how does Morrison say that globalization differs from colonialism and internationalism?

10. In “The Future of Time: Literature and Diminished Expectations," why does Morrison say it is important for us to turn our attention to the future?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In her eulogy for James Baldwin, Morrison enumerates three gifts that Baldwin gave her and three ways in which Baldwin is an inspiration to her. What are these gifts and sources of inspiration, and how does Morrison try to make use of them?

Essay Topic 2

In “The War on Error,” Morrison employs a conceit comparing governments to students. Explain how she develops this conceit and how it impacts an audience’s understanding of her central point in “The War on Error.”

Essay Topic 3

In “The Habit of Art,” Morrison alludes to the plot of the Ancient Greek play Antigone. Explain this allusion and evaluate its function in “The Habit of Art.”

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