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Exam 3 Questions and Answers
HST 334 - African American History Since 1865
Fall 2019
Total Points: 50 Due in Assignments no later than Nov 27
Q1. Elizabeth Keckley’s Behind the Scenes, Chap I, page 19; eBook Edition 2011
Please read before answering the question; it helps with your answer:
In our discussion 3, we briefly learned and discussed the life of Elizabeth Keckley as recounted in
her autobiography Behind the Scenes (printed in 1868, 3 years after the Civil War [1861-1865]).
Elizabeth describes her childhood as full of sorrows and sufferings, and yet proudly claims that it
was the sufferings that thought her about the idea of self-reliance. In the 2nd paragraph of p. 19
(beginning with line 12, and 12 lines long) in Chap I, she described an incident when she was about
4 or 5 years old and her mistress (Mrs. Burwell) had asked her to rock the baby (the baby’s name was
also Elizabeth). In minimum of 160 words, explain what happened, what did Elizabeth do, details of
what was her mistress’s reaction, how Elizabeth describes those moments of her suffering and what
about the baby at the end (as Elizabeth describes it). No Direct Quotes. Please, if you wish to
discuss or comment on Elizabeth’s experience, be sure to address the Question FIRST in at
least the minimum word count, AND then offer your own views.
Focus on the content of the text; avoid treating the answer as a discussion post; Show the source at
least once exactly as (Keckley 19). No source, No points. No Direct Quotes. 4 points. No penalty
for longer answers. Exemplary answers receive extra points.
Your answer:
Elizabeth, after being given a chance by the mistress to rock the baby, she began to rock
the baby and suddenly in the process of rocking the baby, she mistakenly dropped it on the floor.
She was quite shocked and confused and did not know what to do. She started crying out that the
baby was on the floor. She hurriedly grabbed the fire-shovel amidst the confusion and she tried
to shove up the child. In the process of trying to shove up the baby, the angry mistress, yelling at
Elizabeth tells her that she should leave the baby on the floor. The mistress then orders that
Elizabeth be taken outside and beaten up for her carelessness (Keckley 19). Elizabeth describes
the beating stating that the lashes were not administered with a light hand as she received heavy
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lashes. It was so severe that it made her remember the incident vividly while writing this text.
The baby finally grew up to a self-willed girl who caused Elizabeth more trouble in her life.
I think that this experience was so harsh for Elizabeth and the child who was also named
Elizabeth like her, was a symbol of more trouble in her future life, which she explains stating
that she brought her more trouble when she grew into a self-willed girl.
This event is quite notable as it demonstrates that, even as a very little kid, Elizabeth was
made to experience bodily pain and emotional bewilderment. However, she was not treated with
kindness, rather she was punished. Certainly, much of the punishment was due to the enslaved
children being subjected to cruelty and, in addition, they were trying to figure out how to do
some chores that were too mature for their age. Moreover, it is an example of how Elizabeth
eventually learned to be dependent on her own power and perseverance, because she was never
given any sympathy or kindness by the people around her. The episode is one of those moments
which point out that her suffering in the period was not only through physical punishment but
also through the absence of common decency from those around her that made her experience
grow tougher and, hence, her ability to endure and learn that survival was mostly by going
through difficulties quietly.
Q2. Elizabeth Keckley’s Behind the Scenes, Chap II, page 27; eBook Edition 2011
Please read before answering the question; it helps with your answer:
As we discussed in Discussion 3, as an adolescent Elizabeth Keckley was often whipped by Mr
Bingham (the village schoolmaster [her acting master], while Mr Burwell took charge of a church in
North Carolina), and even sometimes whipped by her own master Mr. Burwell. On page 27 of chap
2 (1st paragraph), she speaks of a different suffering and persecution, while her and her owners were
living in North Carolina. In minimum of 160 words, explain what happened, by whom, how, the
outcome, Elizabeth’s own reaction and how she felt about what had happened to her, and how she
hoped that her son would understand her sufferings and whom not to blame. No Direct Quotes.
Please, if you wish to discuss or comment on Elizabeth’s experience, be sure to address the
Question FIRST in at least the minimum word count, AND then offer your own views.
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Focus on the content of the text; avoid treating the answer as a discussion post; Show the source at
least once exactly as (Keckley 27). No source, No points. No Direct Quotes. 4 points. No penalty
for longer answers. Exemplary answers receive extra points.
Your answer:
Elizabeth explains while at Hillsboro, what made her suffer a lot and what brought her
deep mortification were the very savage efforts waged against her pride. In Keckley (27), she
explains how the white people saw her as fairly looking among the people of colour and goes on
to explain how a white man, whom she did not want to mention his name, had what she calls,
face designs, upon her for a period of four years. In other words, this white man defiled her for a
period of four years. This subject pains Elizabeth and she does not like to discuss much because
of the pain it brought her. The result of this persecution made her pregnant and she later became
a mother of a son with her persecutor being the child’s only father (Keckley 27). Further, she
states that if her only child ever suffered any pangs of humiliation on the account of his birth,
then the hope that her son will understand that her mother was not the one to blame but the
society’s addicts that did not care about the virtues of young girls like her at the time (Keckley
27).
It is so humiliating to be raped for a period of four years. Reading this story saddens me a
lot and what makes it worse is getting a child out of such suffering. It is really understandable
that Elizabeth had a very strong and unique personality given that she did not hate her child, but
wished that he understands what she went through by not blaming he for anything that ever
happens to him.
In addition, the thought that Elizabeth once had of her unfortunate period of life also
shows her astonishing power of recovery and forgiveness. Not only did she abstain from
antagonism towards her son, she also tried to hide him from the despising society due to his
origin and to give the blame which was due solely to the corrupt structures and the people that
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were involved in the slavery and exploitation. Thus, Elizabeth, by indicating her hope that her
son would not hate her, revealed how deeply enslaved women suffered emotionally as they not
only experienced violence but also had to cope with the lifelong aftermath of it, which meant
raising children that reminded them of the abuse. Her talent to convert her suffering into a
teaching moment for her son is indicative of her moral quality and humaneness when confronted
with the worst of situations. Consequently, this is the story of Keckley that is not only about pain
but also about the reclaiming of one’s dignity through love, the character one keeps, and the
refusal to allow oppression to govern one’s association with one’s offspring. Hence, she
symbolizes the survival of many enslaved women, who were deeply sorrowful but still kept hope
for future generations alive.
Q3. Elizabeth Keckley’s Behind the Scenes, Preface, page 14 in Preface; eBook Edition 2011
Please read before answering the question; it will help with your answer:
A. Upon publishing her autobiography Behind the Scenes in 1868, Elizabeth Keckley was heavily
criticized for writing about the Lincolns, and was questioned for her motives to write too freely
about the private life of the widowed First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln (wife of President Abraham
Lincoln who was assassinated in April 1865, 3 years before Elizabeth published her
autobiography/memoir). In Chap XV, Elizabeth reveals the former First Lady’s continuing
economic struggles after her husband President Abraham Lincoln’s death, which had left her with
no pension or income (the U.S. government denied the First Lady any pension to which she was
entitled by law). *Mrs. Lincoln had accumulated a lot of debts while living in the White House
during her husband’s presidency, and became subject of ridicule in the nation, as well as in the
nation’s periodicals, after her husband’s assassination. Explain in detail why did Elizabeth Keckley
devote an entire chapter of her autobiography to disclosing the former First Lady Mary Todd
Lincoln’s financial misfortunes, AND was Elizabeth, as she had claimed, “prompted by the purest
motive”, and if so, what were her motive/s? (based on her own explanation in Preface, the 2nd
paragraph, beginning with line 12 and ending with line 18, p. 14). Minimum of 225 words.
No Direct Quotes. Please, if you wish to discuss or comment on Elizabeth’s actions, be sure
to address the Question FIRST in at least the minimum word count, AND then offer your own
views.
B. Then, based on Mrs. Lincoln’s letter TO Elizabeth Keckley (Lizzie) on 8 Oct, 1865 (p. 148 of
the eBook), in 100 words explain how does the content of Mrs. Lincoln’s letter underscore
(confirm) what Elizabeth had explained in the Preface of her autobiography (p. 14)?
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Focus on the content of the text; avoid treating the answer as a discussion post; Show the source at
least once in Part A exactly as (Keckley 14) and at least once in Part B as (Keckley 148). No source,
No points. No Direct Quotes. Part A 5 points; Part B 2 points. No penalty for longer answers.
Exemplary answers receive extra points. You do not need to cite from chapter XV, unless you
wish to include details from it.
Your answer:
A Elizabeth explains how the first day had accumulated a lot of debt while in the White
House since the death of her husband. (Keckley 14) explains that the First Lady was being
charged harshly by the people because they did not have an idea about her secret transactions.
The first reason she gives for exposing such information and exposing it to the public through
her book was a way of defending the first lady and herself (Keckley 15). By exposing her debts,
she claims that it was with a pure motive. It is because she believed that she could not escape the
blame waged on the First Lady because she worked for her in all her White House endeavours.
She believes that the First lady’s actions were done for a good course and the judgment she was
receiving was unfair and if she will see it as a breach of trust, then that could be excusable given
that she was bringing her to a better light in the public sphere (Keckley 15). She believes also
that the information of the transactions she published were done by her not to taint her name but
to demystify the claims against her because the situation that Mrs Lincoln was at the time was
worst and what she published could not bring more harm to her than the harm she had been
subjected (Keckley 15). Therefore, it is clear that her motive was to clear her name from any
blame that could follow her because of working for her and not to cause harm to the First Lady
in the long run.
The preface clearly states Elizabeth’s motives which to me are quite clear that they were not ill-
fated. She wanted to clear the name of Mrs Lincoln from the debt allegations and also to defend
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herself because she knew that since she worked for her, she could not escape being blamed
alongside her employer.
Looking at the incident of Elizabeth dropping the baby and being severely punished more
closely, we see that the incident is a reference to much more than just a childhood mistake. A
child of four or five, being handed such a challenge shows how enslaved children were taken
away from the protection of childhood and shoved into adult roles.
The violent reaction from her mistress is an example of the lack of compassion or understanding
which enslaved people had to face every day. Rather than supporting Elizabeth with the patience
that she needed, her mistake was unfortunately responded to with brutality that caused emotional
scars to her. Also, this incident shows the power the unbalanced - her innocence and terror were
overlooked, and instead, the emphasis was on punishment and control.
In her later reflections, Elizabeth reveals to us that such treatment made her both suffering and
toughness since she had no other option than to undergo and acquire from the harshness. What is
remarkable is not the pain alone but also her ability to bring the experience back and see it as one
of the grounds of her independence. The way she remembers the child who later only brought
her more grief is a grasp at a time when her childhood was the cause of the same kind of life
problems recurring (Keckley 19).
B In Keckley (14), Elizabeth explains that by exposing her debts, she claims that it was
with a pure motive. It is because she believed that she could not escape the blame waged on the
First Lady because she worked for her in all her White House endeavours. On the other hand, the
content of the letter explains her good motive for publishing the transactions of the First Lady
because in the letter, (Keckley 148), explains that her actions and motive for doing so was based
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on the purest kind. She, further, states that even Mrs Lincoln understood how she had acted from
the purest and best motives.
Elizabeth's recount of being molested for four years in Hillsboro exposes readers to the
harsh truth of sexual abuse under slavery as not only incidents but as systemic practices. Women
like Elizabeth were absolutely denied their rights over their own bodies, and their mistresses
were very likely to do so under the protection of both their race and social status. She did not
mention the man's name which implies the pain of recalling the trauma and the impossibility of
identifying perpetrators when there was no justice for enslaved women. Nevertheless, she unites
the most oppressive period of her life to her son and thus combines a dismal tale with the power
of motherhood and love. In fact, she nourishes her faith in him through which he becomes a
beacon of light. She uses the vehicle of the son to beg him to never accuse her adding thereby
that she was a victim of the wicked institution of slavery and not a perpetrator. In doing so,
Elizabeth shows that what leveled her were not the abuses but the strength she gave to her pain to
pass it on as the mother’s wisdom. She was willing for her son to realize not only the humiliation
but also the oppressive regimes behind the suffering which they were victims of. Elizabeth in this
sense is telling her own story of agonizing but linking it with those of other enslaved women
who were forced to gather their strength and endurance in order to regain their own dignity and
keep hope alive for their descendants (Keckley 27).
The following questions are based on Maya Angelou’s autobiography
I Know Why the
Caged Bird Sings
(published in 1969)
,
PDF copy 1997 edition only (NO eBook); Link in
Week 10 and Week 12
Q4. Maya Angelou was
1 point
A. born a slave in 1928 in Stamps, Arkansas
B. born a slave in 1928 in St. Louis, Missouri
C. born in 1928 in St. Louis, Missouri; and was not born a slave
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Your answer:
C. Born in 1928 in St. Louis, Missouri; and was not born a slave.
Q5. Bailey Johnson and Vivian Baxter, & Thomas and Marguerite Baxter
1 point
A. are Maya Angelou’s grandparents, and parents
B. are Maya Angelou’s parents, and maternal grandparents
C. are Maya Angelou’s parents, and fraternal grandparents
Your answer:
C. are Maya Angelou’s parents, and fraternal grandparents
Q7. Based on page 5-6 (1st and 2nd page) in Chap I in I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings .
According to Maya Angelou, when she was 3 years old and her brother Bailey was 4 years old, their
parents (Bailey Johnson and Vivian Baxter)
(2 points)
A. had decided to put an end to their calamitous marriage, and her father Mr. Bailey Johnson
shipped them home to his mother (Annie Henderson) who lived in Stamps, Arkansas. In
Stamps, they lived with their grandmother and uncle in the back of the Store, which she had
owned some 25 years. The grandmother (Maya and Bailey called her Momma) sold goods
such as meat pies, cool lemonade, variety of colored thread, mash for hogs, corn for chicken,
coal oil for lamps, light bulb for the wealthy, shoe strings, hair dressing, balloons, flower
seeds, etc. On Saturdays, barbers also sat their customers in the shade on the porch of the
Store. Formal name of the Store was the Wm. Johnson General Merchandise Store.
B. had decided to put an end to their calamitous marriage, and her father Mr. Bailey Johnson
shipped them home to his mother who lived in Stamps, Arkansas. In Stamps, they lived with
their grandmother and uncle in the back of the store, which she had owned some 25 years.
The grandmother (Maya and Bailey called her Momma) sold goods such as meat pies, cool
lemonade, variety of colored thread, mash for hogs, corn for chicken, coal oil for lamps for
the poor, furniture & light bulb for the wealthy, shoe strings, hair dressing, balloons, flower
seeds, etc. On Saturdays, barbers also sat their customers in the shade on the porch of the
Store. Formal name of the Store was the Wm. Johnson General Merchandise Store.
C. had decided to end their disfunctional marriage, and her father Mr. Bailey Johnson shipped
them home to their grandmother Marguerite Baxter who lived in Stamps, Arkansas. In
Stamps, they lived with their grandmother and uncle in the back of the store, which she had
owned some 25 years. The grandmother (Maya and Bailey called her Momma) sold goods
such as meat pies, cool lemonade, variety of colored thread, mash for hogs, corn for chicken,
coal oil for lamps, light bulb for the wealthy, shoe strings, hair dressing, balloons, flower
seeds, etc. On Saturdays, barbers also sat their customers in the shade on the porch of the
Store. Formal name of the Store was the Wm. Johnson General Merchandise Store.
Your answer:
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A. had decided to put an end to their calamitous marriage, and her father Mr. Bailey Johnson
shipped them home to his mother (Annie Henderson) who lived in Stamps, Arkansas. In
Stamps, they lived with their grandmother and uncle in the back of the Store, which she
had owned some 25 years. The grandmother (Maya and Bailey called her Momma) sold
goods such as meat pies, cool lemonade, variety of colored thread, mash for hogs, corn
for chicken, coal oil for lamps, light bulb for the wealthy, shoe strings, hair dressing,
balloons, flower seeds, etc. On Saturdays, barbers also sat their customers in the shade on
the porch of the Store. Formal name of the Store was the Wm. Johnson General
Merchandise Store.
Q8. Based on page 17-18 (bottom of p. 17 & last 2 paragraphs on p. 18) in Chap 3 in I Know Why the
Caged Bird Sings .
While Maya Angelou loved her Momma’s store and described (p. 16) how opening its door in the
morning as “pulling off the ribbon off the unexpected gift,” she also spoke of the threat that also
surrounded the Store (the only black store in the area, and keep in mind that this was the Jim Crow
era, and Arkansas was a Jim Crow state). In one occasion, a white sheriff stopped by the Store and
warned Momma, “ Annie,
____________________________________________________________
___________. __________________________________________ body light.” …Immediately,
while his horse’s hoofs were still loudly thudding the ground, Momma blew out the coal-oil lamp.
She had a quiet, hard talk with Uncle Willie and called Bailey and Maya into the store. “ We were
_________________________________________. _________________________________
___________________________________________________. _______________________
_____________________________________. ___________________________________
____Store.
Fill in the blanks verbatim from the text the 6 sentences (as written in the text). You do not have to
write on the blank lines, they are included to show you the place of the missing sentences. Write
your answer in the space provided below. 3 points.
Your answer
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Tell Willie he better lay low tonight. A crazy nigger messed with a white lady today. Some of the
boys’ll be coming over here later.” Even after the slow drag of years, I remember the sense of
fear which filled my mouth with hot, dry air, and made my body light.
We were told to take the potatoes and onions out of their bins and knock out the dividing walls
that kept them apart. Then with a tedious and fearful slowness, Uncle Willie gave me his rubber-
tipped cane and bent down to get into the now-enlarged empty bin. It took forever before he lay
down flat, and then we covered him with potatoes and onions, layer upon layer, like a casserole.
Grandmother knelt praying in the darkened Store.
Q9. Based on page 18-19 (bottom of p. 18 and top of p. 19) in Chap 3 in I Know Why the Caged Bird
Sings .
Continuing with the above story and the sheriff’s warning, Maya makes it clear that they were all
afraid about what could happen to Uncle Willie in their highly racialized society, segregated society.
This was Jim Crow era after all. Maya writes that, “It was ______________________________
__________________________________________ . _______________________________
_______________________________________. __________________________________
___________ heinous crime.”
Fill in the blanks verbatim from the text the 3 sentences (as written in the text). You do not have to
write on the blank lines, they are included to show you the place of the missing sentences. Write
your answer in the space provided below. 2 points.
Your answer
It was fortunate that the “boys” didn’t ride into our yard that evening and insist that Momma
open the store. They would have surely found Uncle Willie and just as surely lynched him. He
moaned the whole night through as if he had, in fact, been guilty of some heinous crime.
Q10. Based on page 25 (paragraph 2, In Stamps…) in Chap 4 in I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings .
Please read before answering the question; it will help with your answer:
Segregation and racial persecution shaped Maya Angelou’s life and experiences. In her
autobiography she describes what segregation meant to black Americans, particularly black
American children. In your own words (minimum of 70 words) explain how Maya Angelou
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described life for black people in Stamps during the segregation era, including for black children,
and beyond just being different. Please cover the entire paragraph (2nd full paragraph). No Direct
Quotes. Please, if you wish to discuss or comment on Maya’s experiences, be sure to address
the Question FIRST in at least the minimum word count, AND then offer your own views.
Focus on the content of the text; avoid treating the answer as a discussion post; Show the source at
least once exactly as (Angelou 25). No source, No points. No Direct Quotes. No penalty for
longer answers. 2 points. Exemplary answers receive extra points.
Your answer:
Maya explains how segregation was so completed in Stamps to the point where Black
children had no idea about the appearances of the white people (Angelou 25). The only thing
they knew about white people is that they looked different from them. Apart from being
different, Angelou (25) explains that they were dreaded because they were hostile and powerless,
they were poor fighting the rich, and workers who were fighting against those who made them
work and they were in rags while fighting the well-dressed white people (Angelou 25).
Maya's representation of life in Stamps draws a very vivid picture of segregation that in
essence were 'invisible' different walls that greatly affected the experiences of Black children and
adults in the same way. It can graphically be seen in the children's portrayal of "how the white
people" looked that the two sides were so segregated that they did not know what the other
looked like, and this complete isolation from each other was the reason for both fear and
animosity. The most amazing aspect that she has mentioned in her narration is the fact that
segregation, apart from making it possible for white people to be "different", it had also
enhanced the social and economic disparities that left black families with a constant struggle of
staying in poverty while at the same time they were very much aware of their exclusion from the
aspects of wealth and privilege (Angelou 25). In addition, Mya's thoughts explain how kids got
divided by their age, they not only learned who they were in relation to others but also who they
were expected to fear and hate. Here we see segregation as more than just a separation of two
groups, rather it is systematically denying the people of their human rights and the opportunities
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available to them and continually placing the hierarchy above them. Maya brings in the
children’s perspective and highlights how oppression shaped identities long before individuals
reached adulthood. She shows the memory which she has of these inequality lessons very clearly
when she talks about the pain of that period and the toughness one had to have to live in such a
bad condition.
Q11. Based on page 48 (last 2 paragraphs on the last page) in Chap 7 in I Know Why the Caged Bird
Sings .
Please read before answering the question; it will help with your answer:
Maya Angelou also recalls an incident that showed the whites contempt against blacks and how
little respect the white population in Jim Crow states (segregation era) such as Arkansas held for
Black Americans & did not use courtesy titles of respect when referring to blacks. What was
the incident about (what had happened), why Maya’s grandmother (real name Mrs. Annie
Henderson) involved, reaction of bailiff and the judge, as well as the rest of the whites in court. Tell
the whole story based on the 2 paragraphs, in minimum of 200 words. Please, if you wish to
discuss or comment on Maya’s experiences, be sure to address the Question FIRST in at
least the minimum word count, AND then offer your own views.
Focus on the content of the text; avoid treating the answer as a discussion post; Show the source at
least once exactly as (Angelou 48). No source, No points. No Direct Quotes. No penalty for
longer answers. 5 points. Exemplary answers receive extra points.
Your answer:
The incident had taken place a number of years before Bailey and Maya arrived in Stamps and it
involved a man who had assaulted the white womanhood and was being hunted. In his bid to
escape, this man sort refuge at Momma’s store who, with Uncle Willie decided to hide the man
until the night came, at the back of the chifforobe (Angelou 48). At night, they decided to release
the man for an overland journey and released as a way of making him escape (Angelou 48). It
was unfortunate that this man, before successfully escaping, was napped and taken to court
where his moves during the day he committed the crime were questioned. He mentioned that
during that day, he was hiding at the store of Mrs Annie Henderson.
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Momma came into the courtroom with her pride intact after she was called to testify, but at once
it was obvious that she was not respected. The bailiff not only didn't call "Mrs. Henderson," but
just announced her as "Annie," so to speak, thus refusing her the courtesy normally granted to
adults. The judge after this also showed no respect, at the same time calling her “Annie" in the
hall while the white onlookers chuckled at the joke. The refusal to use even language as a means
of degradation was one of those instances where they, the whites, went even further to strip
Blacks of their basic social dignity. Nevertheless, Momma showed her reaction in a manner that
was so strong, without shouting or showing anger, she quietly and firmly corrected the judge
saying that her name was "Mrs. Henderson." With her insistence on being addressed properly,
she was in fact a quiet defiance that signified her being ascribed to a level of respect even in a
place that is meant to ridicule her. Maya remembered this story as it was an indication of the
strength and silent determination of her grandmother who was always teaching her that it is a
must to keep one’s dignity even when faced with adversities. This point recalls the depth of
racism but still, the small acts of courage that confronted it (Angelou 48).
Her grandmother’s real name, Annie Henderson was involved because the Judge felt that he had
made a gaffe by addressing a black woman by the title “Mrs.” (Angelou 48). It is part of the
reason why the white me audience present in court, the bailiff and the judge laughed when
Momma introduced herself as Mrs Annie Henderson. The judge was from another place called
Pine Bluff, which was the reason why he did not know that a woman of colour could be running
store in the village. Even though Momma was a laughing-stock among the white population for a
while, the people of colour thought that she had proved her majesty and worth.
Q12. Based on page 77-80 in Chap 12 in I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.
Maya Angelou, in addition to sharing her experiences living in the segregated South, also reveals to
her reader a detailed account of how she was sexually molested and raped by her mother’s
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boyfriend Mr. Freeman (a black man) while staying with her mother (Vivian Baxter) for a brief
period in 1936 in St. Louis, Missouri. How old was she when she was raped?
1 point
A. 12 years old
B. 8 years old
C. 15 years old
Your answer:
A. 8 years old
Q13. Now that you have read the detailed account of Maya’s rape at the tender age of 8, based on
your knowledge and understanding, how would you compare (and describe) the revelatory
(revealing) nature of Harriet Jacobs’s account of her sexual abuse by her master Mr. Flint WITH
Maya Angelou’s account of her rape by her mother’s boyfriend? Explain in 3-4 sentences (keep in
mind their ages as well). Be very specific, accurate, and avoid making comments that do not apply to
these women’s circumstances.
Focus on the account of the 2 women have shared; avoid treating the answer as a discussion post;
No Direct Quotes. No penalty for longer answers. 2 points. Exemplary answers receive
extra points.
Your answer:
The accounts of the rape stories between Jacobs and Angelou are quite different in regard
to the details used. Jacobs (V) avoided using words that could reveal what the master was doing
to her. For instance, she said that she had no option but stay under the same roof with a man who
was 40 years old violating nature’s sacred commandments (V). This was quite unlike Angelou’s
narration that described every detail of what Mr Freeman did to her. For instance, at the age of 8,
unlike Jacobs who was 15 years old, Angelou describes every detail how he pulled her close to
himself (Angelous 77), she explains all his facial expressions (Angelou 78), how he raped and
threatened her not to say a word or he would kill her or her brother (Angelou 79). Her account is
quite vivid and she did little to hide being obscene.
Q14. Based on page 81-82 in Chap 12, and p. 83 (first 3 paragraphs) in Chap 13 in I Know Why the
Caged Bird Sings.
On pages 81-82, Maya reveals how she fell seriously ill after she was raped, and at the same time
struggled about whether she should tell anyone about Mr. Freeman raping her. Eventually her
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mother (Vivian Baxter) took her to the hospital. It was there that she decided to reveal to one
specific person about who had done this to her. As noted on p. 83, “ In the hospital
___________________________________________________. When ___________________
_________________________ him.’ And ____________________________. ______________
_______. So I told him. Bailey cried ________________________________________.
_______________________________________________again. Using the __________________
________________________________________________________ uncles.”
Fill in the blanks verbatim from the text the 8 sentences (as written in the text). You do not have to
write on the blank lines, they are included to show you the place of the missing sentences. Write
your answer in the space provided below. 3 points.
Your answer:
“In the Hospital, bailey told me that I had to tell who did that to me, or the man would hurt
another little girl. When I explained that I couldn’t tell because the man would kill him, Bailey
said knowingly, “He can’t kill me. I won’t let him.” And of course I believed him. Bailey didn’t
lie to me. So I told him.
Bailey cried at the side of my bed until I started to cry too. Almost fifteen years passed before I
saw my brother cry again. Using the old brain he was born with (those were his words later on
that day) he gave his information to Grandmother Baxter, and Mr. Freeman was arrested and was
spared the awful wrath of my pistol-whipping uncles.“
Q15. Based on p. 85 (the last half of the page) & p. 86 (1st ½ of the page) in Chap 13 in I Know Why
the Caged Bird Sings.
According to Maya’s account, Freeman was found guilty of raping her, and was given specific # of
years in prison. How many years, and how long did he serve exactly?
1 point
A. 2 years, and served only 1 year
B. 5 years and 1 day, and served none
C. 1 year and 1 day, and served none
Your answer:
A. 1 year and 1 day, and served none
Q16. Based on p. 86 (beginning with the 4th sentence and end with 14th sentence) in Chap 13 in I
Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.
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According to Maya Angelou, what happened to Mr. Freeman, how did Maya find out, who was
responsible for what had happened to Freeman (did they know who)? Please explain in 4-5
sentences. Be very specific, accurate, and avoid making comments that do not apply to the story.
Focus on the account on p. 86; avoid treating the answer as a discussion post; No Direct Quotes.
No penalty for longer answers. Show the source at least once exactly as (Angelou 86). No source,
No points. 2 points. Exemplary answers receive extra points.
Your answer:
Maya Angelou explains that at the back of a slaughterhouse, Mr Freeman’s body had
been found dead (Angelou 86). Angelou overheard the policemen who brought the sad news
breaking the news to her grandmother in their living room. According to the policeman, his body
seemed to have been dropped behind the slaughterhouse, though some people were saying that
he had been kicked to death (Angelou 86). They did not know who killed him.
Q17. Based on pp. 133-36 in Chap 19 in I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.
Please read before answering the question; it will help with your answer:
In chapter 19, Maya Angelou’s account shows how Black Americans were not just passive victims of
segregation (or Jim Crow era). She provides several incidents that demonstrate how black people
embraced the moments that helped them to stand up against their highly racialized society. One of
those events was the momentous boxing match held in Stamps, Arkansas. The black boxer was Joe
Louis vs. Brown Bomber (white man). In your own words (minimum of 200 words) describe the
event in detail: how and where did black people (some) follow the match, what were the low points
of the match that the blacks who had gathered in Momma’s Store saw as it end of the world (p. 135,
2nd paragraph); the outcome eventually, and why the outcome of the match was important to the
black community? No Direct Quotes. Please, if you wish to include more of your own
opinion, be sure to address the Question FIRST in at least the minimum word count, AND then
offer your own specific views.
Focus on the content of the text; avoid treating the answer as a discussion post; Show the source
exactly as (Angelou 133) or (Angelou # of the page you have used). No source, No points. No
Direct Quotes. 5 points. No penalty for longer answers. Exemplary answers receive extra
points.
Your answer:
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According to Angelou (133), everyone had gathered at Momma’s store all seated along
the walls of her grandmother’s store. Youngsters, men and women were all there ready to listen
to the match. Women were seated on dining-room chairs, wooden boxes and even on kitchen
chairs. Babies and children were all seated on adult’s laps while men had no place to seat other
than to lean on the store’s shelves (Angelou 133). They listen to the match through radio and the
volume was turned up for everyone to hear. Some of the audiences at the store could be heard
saying that Joe would be the white boy terribly and he would call his mother. As the match
began, everyone went silent though as blows rained on Joe’s opponent as explained by the match
broadcaster; some people could be heard crackling. The match continues and some of the people
next to the ring could be heard cracking jokes on how Joe’s opponent was hugging him (Angelou
134).
As round two ends, Joe seemed to have been overpowered by Brown. As round three
begins, Angelou (134) wonders if the commentator was calling all the audiences including the
Negroes “ladies and gentlemen.” As the match went to the next round, people were raving up for
celebrations and Uncle Willie was complaining that such arrangements could interrupt the
atmosphere (Angelou 134). On the fourth round, Louis goes down and Angelous (135) explains
how it felt as though the whole black community was going down if Joe lost the match. For
them, it was comparable to going back to slavery. However, at last, Louis becomes angry and
goes mad and beats his opponent, raining blows on him that left his eye bleeding. When the
opponent falls on the floor and the referee counts one to six and asks if the opponent could make
it to get off the floor, men at the store were already shouting that he would not get off the floor
(Angelou 136). Lastly, Joe wins the match. The outcome was so significant to the black people
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because to them, they saw it as proof that they were the strongest community in the world
(Angelou 136).
Q18. Based on p. 214 in Chap 27 in I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.
Please read before answering the question; it will help with your answer:
Maya moved to San Francisco at the age of 13 to live with her mother Vivian Baxter. She describes
San Francisco as a liberating and cosmopolitan environment, but not free from racism and
Southerners who had brought their biases intact to the West from the backward Arkansas and the
swamps of Georgia. She describes one of the specific incident that she witnessed while riding the
street car. The incident shows conduct of a white woman whose mind was consumed by the
negative racial stereotypes of black Americans. What was the incident about? Please be detailed and
specific, particularly about where it took place, racist white woman and her conduct as well as her
condescending comment to the black man, Why?; and who the black man was and the black man’s
reply to shame the white woman who was blinded by her racism. No Direct Quotes. Please, if you
wish to include more of your own opinion, be sure to address the Question FIRST in at least the
minimum word count, AND then fell free to offer your own specific views. Minimum of 100 words.
Focus on the content of the text; avoid treating the answer as a discussion post; Show the source
exactly as (Angelou 214). No source, No points. No Direct Quotes. 3 points. Minimum of 100
words. No penalty for longer answers. Exemplary answers receive extra points.
Your answer:
The incident took place at a streetcar when a white matron refused to sit next to a civilian
described as a Negro (Angelou 214). This happened despite the fact that the Negro had made
room for the matron to seat. The lady gave the reason that she did not want to sit next to a Negro
and a draft dodger. The white racist lady had a son who was fighting for his country at the Iwo
Jimo and she stated that the Negro must have been doing the same fighting for his country
(Angelou 214). The black man was also a soldier and in a gentle manner, he moved away and
showed the lady his armless sleeve and told her to ask her son to look around for his arm that he
had left at Iwo Jimo 9Angelou 214).
Q19: Based on p. 215 (chap 28) & 272 (chap 34) in I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.
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When Maya Angelou became a mother in 1944, she was still studying at (although she was cutting
classes a lot)
1 point
A. George Washington High School
B. University of San Francisco
C. San Francisco Art Institute
Your answer:
A. George Washington High School.
Q20. Based on p. 288 & 290 in chap 36, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
When in 1944 Maya announced to her mother (and her step-father) that she was pregnant (she was
16 yrs old), her mother
1 point
A. While concerned about the identity of the baby’s father, was supportive of her becoming a
new mother to a baby boy
B. She was mainly concerned with the identity of the baby’s father and dreaded, and mocked,
Maya’s decision to become a mother at the age of 16
C. She was mainly concerned with the identity of the baby’s father and encouraged Maya to
marry the father of her baby
D. After talking to her own husband, asked Maya to find a place of her own.
Your answer:
A. While concerned about the identity of the baby’s father, was supportive of her becoming a
new mother to a baby boy.
======
Bonus question (1 point)
In minimum of 60 words, discuss why, in your view, Maya Angelou named her autobiography I know
Why the Caged Bird Sings? Discuss your views meaningfully (think about her life).
Angelou and the black community were like a caged bird because they lived in a life
where racism had confined them, through segregation, in a community where they could not
meet or talk with other people. Their freedom was limited. Even Angelou herself was caged by
not only the segregation but also the life she had through rape that she could not talk about, and
even the pregnancy that made her silent for several months before finally writing a letter to her
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parents explaining to them about her pregnancy. However, because of the freedom she needed,
she strived to succeed in school and strived to overcome racism. She never kept silent but not for
long. That is why she talks about the caged bird singing which is symbolic of her life.
