Pedagogy of the Oppressed

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

PREFACE-CHAPTER 1

Reading Check

1. What does Freire cite as something that freedom is often confused for?

2. What type of reaction does Freire guess his book will evoke from readers?

3. What does Freire cite as “the great humanistic and historical task of the oppressed”?

4. How does Freire define an oppressive act?

Short Answer

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

1. What fear concerning conscientization does Freire outline in the beginning of the Preface, and how does he discuss the inaccuracy of that fear?

2. Who does Freire say is his intended audience, and what explanation does he provide?

3. What are the forces that thwart humanization, and what are the forces that affirm it?

4. What is “true generosity” and why does Freire cite it as an antidote to “false charity”?

Paired Resource

“My Dungeon Shook”

• This epistolary essay by James Baldwin discusses the lived experience of Black Americans, specifically Black men, and explores the ways that injustice and oppression harms not only the people being oppressed, but also the oppressor.
• This resource connects to the theme of Conscientization.