Multiple Choice and Written Answers then 1 page (each) on whichever topic you choose.
Test Outline:
PART ONE: Multiple-choice—highlight the best answer (20 pts. total/2 pts. each)
1) What did Frederick Douglass “know” about his father? A) His father was a slave.
B) Douglass had no information about him. C) He died before Douglass was born.
D) He was white and possibly his master. E) none of the above
2) What is Douglass’ perception of slave singing? A) It is just a reflection of slave work.
B) It is sung out of joy and hope. C) It is a reflection of the happy slave.
D) It is sung out of sorrow, not joy. E) all of the above
3) Where was Douglass enslaved? A) Massachusetts B) Maryland C) Delaware
D) New York E) none of the above
4) Who was the father of Linda’s (Harriet Jacobs’) children? A) Dr. Flint B) a free black man C) an unnamed slave of Dr. Flint D) Mr. Sands E) none of the above
5) Which city does Jacobs call “the City of Iniquity” because it served as an organizational center for bounty hunters of escaped slaves? A) Richmond B) Boston
C) New York D) Washington D.C. E) none of the above
6) According to Wheatley, those who view Negroes with a “scornful eye” see their skin color by what adjective? A) ebony B) diabolic C) dusky D) foreign
E) none of the above
7) What specific assumption of Americans is the poem “On Being Brought from Africa to America” attempting to dispel? A) that Africans cannot be Christians B) that Africans cannot become Americans C) that women cannot write poetry D) that Africans are less intelligent than Americans E) none of the above
8) When Equiano first encounters Europeans on the coast of Africa, how does he react to them? A) He thinks they are benign sea merchants. B) He is horrified by their brutality and fears they will eat him. C) He is delighted by the fish they feed him. D) He is angry when they try to convert him to Christianity. E) all of the above
9) Equiano is kidnapped along with: A) other children from his village B) his grandmother C) his sister D) his mother E) none of the above
10) How does Equiano eventually gain his freedom? A) by running away B) by killing his master C) by purchasing his freedom D) by winning a lottery E) none of the above
PART TWO: short answer—write a paragraph on each (30 pts./10 pts. each).
• Quote the poem/speech/narrative and give its title.
1) Phillis Wheatley: Summarize one of Wheatley’s poems. Give the title and examine the poem in terms of the poem’s subject matter and symbolism.
2) Sojourner Truth: In her “Speech to the Women’s Right’s Convention,” describe how she argues for women’s rights. What examples does she use to show her points?
3) Olaudah Equiano: Examine Equiano’s narrative in terms its role (as the first depiction of “the middle passage”) in the abolition of the trans-Atlantic slave trade.
PART THREE: Part III (50 pts.) Choose two of these three topics below to write about:
Directions: In the space below, write two 1-2 pg. essays. Give quotes/examples/details from the narratives wherever it is necessary.
1) Harriet Jacobs: What are Jacob’s experiences with the Fugitive Slave Law? Demonstrate its effects upon Jacobs/others in terms of her message and the context of the time period.
2) Frederick Douglass: What role does literacy play in Douglass’s personal development? Demonstrate the most poignant causes and effects in terms of his message and the context of the time period.
3) Solomon Northup: How and why does Solomon write about the cruelty Epps inflicts upon Patsey? Demonstrate his purpose in terms of his message and the context of the time period.
