1. Why do the men awarding the narrator a scholarship subject him to such a grueling ordeal at the club?

2. Why does President Bledsoe provide the narrator with unfavorable recommendation letters without revealing their content? Why does Bledsoe view the narrator as a threat?

3. Compare the narrator's experience at the white men's club to Norton's encounter at the Golden Day.

4. What is the symbolic importance of the narrator working in a paint factory?

5. Why does the narrator initially adopt, then later renounce the persona of Rinehart? How does Rinehart's persona limit his freedom?

6. Why does the narrator initially refuse to buy a yam from the street vendor, only to purchase a second one later?