The Wife of his Youth by Charles W. Chesnutt
Directions: Read each item carefully, do your best to answer as thoroughly as possible. Write your answers on a sheet of paper to be turned in at the end of your time, 50 minutes.
Multiple Choice:
1. Charles W. Chesnutt was a founder member of this organization:
a) NBA
b) NAACP
c) NCAA
d) NCAP
2. How long has Liza Jane been looking for her husband?
a) five years
b) ten years
c) twenty years
d) twenty-five years
3. The story implies that Mr. Ryder is attracted to Mrs. Dixon because
a) he admires the charitable work she does for poor African-American children
b) he admires the fact that she escaped from slavery and educated herself
c) he admires her light skin and superior social connections
d) he admires her house in Washington DC and wants to marry her so he can live there.
4. Why does Mr. Ryder host a ball for the Blue Veins at his house?
a) to impress a woman who is planning to propose to
b) to attempt to gain membership into the club
c) to publicaly resign his membership in the club
d) to attempt to raise money for the freed slaves
5. What does Liza Jane expect that her husband will be doing when she finds him?
a) she believes he will have followed through on his plan to become a lawyer
b) she is not sure of what kind of work he will be doing, but expects him to be wealthy
c) she thinks he has likely become a farmer since that is the kind of work he did on the plantation
d) she believes he will be unsuccessful and expects that she will have to support them both
6. Mr. Ryder frequently quotes
a) the Constitution
b) the Bible
c) the Emancipation Proclamation
d) poetry
7. The story implies that the Blue Veins
a) are snobbish and favor lighter skin African Americans for membership
b) are snobbish and favor darker skin African Americans for membership
c) are welcoming of all African Americans into membership
d) are secretive and admit members only after an elaborate initiation process
8. Which of the following best describes Mr. Ryder’s career path?
a) he worked his way up from line cook to a head chef at the finest restaurant in Groveland
b) He had been a lawyer but was demoted to a secretarial position
c) He worked his way up from messenger to stationary clerk in a railroad company
d) He lost his job as a teacher and was unable to find another job.
9. The Emancipation Proclamation was in the year _________.
a) 1893
b) 1863
c) 1833
d) 1983
10. The _____ amendment freed all slaves.
a) 15th
b) 14th
c) 13th
d) 12th
Fill in the blank:
11. After the _______________ War, congress attempted to unite the South and change the pro-slavery culture with the passing of laws known as the ______________________ period. This period lasted from 1866-1877, however the South felt it was humiliating and did not comply. Charles W. Chesnutt moved back to the North during this period.
12. The Supreme Court case of ______________ vs. ________________, from 1896 legalized segregation as long as facilities were ____________________.
Short Response to Literature: Use paraphrased evidence from the text to support your response. Choose one from each class period. Good Luck – write well and clearly.
Period 1;
13. Why do you think that at the Blue Vein ball, Mr. Ryder chooses to tell his story in the third person?
14. What can we learn from society in The Wife of his Youth that is applicable to the death of Michael Brown from Ferguson, Missouri?
Period 3:
15. Contrast the differences if Mr. Ryder stays with Liza Jane, with what his life would be like with Mrs. Dixon.
16. Why does Mr. Ryder choose Liza Jane over Mrs. Dixon?
Period 4:
17. If Mrs. Dixon had not responded “yes” to the question Mr. Ryder asked at the end of his story, ““And now, ladies and gentlemen, friends and companions, I ask you, what should he have done?” Do you think Mr. Ryder would have acknowledged Liza Jane or kept the truth to himself?
18. How does the authors choice to include Liza Jane’s southern vernacular impact the story?