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4.24.4: Reading and Review Questions

  • Page ID
    63942
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    1. In “Ethiopia,” how does Harper use Biblical allusions for blacks, as opposed to using them to undermine whites?
    2. Compare the sentimental tone of Whittier’s poetry and Stowe’s prose with Harper’s forceful acclamation in “Ethiopia.” How authentic does Harper’s tone seem to you? Why?
    3. In “Learning to Read,” how effective and authentic is the voice/persona of Aunt Chloe? Why does Harper use this persona?
    4. What aspects of the positive effects of education for blacks does “Learning To Read” disclose? Why? How do these aspects compare to Douglass’s and Jacobs’s views on education? Why?
    5. In “Slave Mother,” what’s the effect of Harper’s use of repetend? What’s do you think is the effect of the last line identifying the suffering woman as a mother, without adding the adjective “black” or “slave?” Why?

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