THE TEST The Test is a short story by Angelica Gibbs which illustrates the issue of power abuse, where actions all originate from personal prejudices and ignorance. The characters; Marion, the Inspector and Mrs. Ericson represent three different societies which collide and are caught in a situation where there is a victim, a perpetrator, and a denying, yet guilty onlooker. Representing the first "society" is Marion. Though stereotyped by some (the Inspector) as being an …showed first 75 words of 1026 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1026 total…symbols of three separate groups in America. This story illustrates the lack of power that blacks feel, and the racism that they experience; either in an overt form such as that of the Inspector, or in the more subdued and latent form of the patronising Mrs. Ericson. This short, yet powerful and meaningful story, reveals how helpless black people feel; in a prejudiced and ignorant society, where the abuse of power can shape their destiny.