Reading Check and Short Answer questions on key points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

Chapters 1-2

Reading Check

1. What is the name of the Baltimore crew that “had no eyes,” which Coates references in Chapter 1?

2. Which sport are Coates and his brother Big Bill obsessed with?

3. What is the nickname that Coates and his brother gave their father, which was born out of their father’s work ethic and discipline?

4. Which street do Coates and his family live on in West Baltimore?

5. Which substance negatively impacts Baltimore’s civilization?

6. What educational program is Big Bill forced into to give him a taste of college?

7. What group of kids were treated like “kings” in Coates and Big Bill’s high school?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. In Chapter 1, Coates introduces his father, a significant figure in The Beautiful Struggle. What are some of his defining features? In your response, use Coates’s terminology—specifically, “Conscious Man” and “Knowledge”—to describe him.

2. Who is Big Bill, and what are some of his main characteristics?

3. Describe Coates’s narrative style. What makes it so unique, and what affect does it have on the overall story?