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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Which of the following was NOT an element in Avery's significant dream?

2. Which of the following characters does NOT attempt to move the piano?

3. Which character is afraid to sleep upstairs alone?

4. Lymon wants to go to what city, hoping for better treatment from white people?

5. What sound is heard by the characters who attempt to move the piano?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens when Doaker emerges to see Boy Willie and Lymon attempting to move the piano?

2. What does Berniece ask Avery to do after Maretha has seen Sutter's ghost, and how does Avery respond?

3. Whose ghost does Berniece think that she sees, and what does it tell her?

4. After his night out on the town in his "magic" suit, how did Lymon fare with the ladies?

5. After his failed date, what gift does Lymon give to Berniece, and what is her response to the gesture?

6. What conflict arises between the siblings surrounding the future of the piano?

7. How does Avery begin his exorcism of Sutter's ghost?

8. What realization does Boy Willie make when he hears his heart beating as a "black man's heart"?

9. What happens when Wining Boy goes to the city to pawn his belongings?

10. What happens between Boy Willie and Grace once they left to return to her apartment?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Dreams prove to be an interesting and important way for characters in the text to receive divine messages. Avery's dream, in particular, is given the most symbolic weight within the story. Explain the symbolism of Avery's dream as it relates to his future and the themes within the play as a whole.

Essay Topic 2

Storytelling proves to be one of the most powerful elements of information transfer throughout the play. Choose one story that was told during the course of the play, explain the story's significance, and discuss how this story is an example of the importance of storytelling in the Charles family culture.

Essay Topic 3

The piano itself is arguably the strongest symbol in the entire play, standing in as a symbol for the Charles family as a whole but also for the members of the family as individuals. Choose one member of the Charles family and explain how the piano acts as a unique symbol for that character's storyline. Briefly discuss that character's relationship with the piano as a result of that symbolism.

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This section contains 898 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample