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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. What is Lymon's last name?

2. When the group is singing prison songs, which character is asked to play the piano?

3. Who purchases clothing from Wining Boy?

4. What was Wining Boy's occupation while he was married?

5. Who does Boy Willie expect to teach Maretha about the significance of the piano?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. How do Boy Willie and Lymon end up in Pittsburgh?

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

4. What was Ophelia's reaction to the trade between her husband and Nolander?

5. Why does Avery believe that Berniece should start a choir in her home?

6. What events have prompted Doaker to believe that Berniece should sell the piano as soon as possible?

7. Why won't Wining Boy play the piano when he is asked to?

8. What does Boy Willie believe about the laws of the white man?

9. How does Wining Boy say that ghosts have affected his life?

10. What lesson does Boy Willie give Maretha on the piano?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The railroads of the town are extremely significant throughout the play.

Part 1. Explain the symbolism of a railroad as it pertains to Boy Willie's life.

Part 2. Explain the reasons why the railroad is important in Doaker's life.

Part 3. Explain why the railroad has come to be an important element in the supernatural elements of the play.

Essay Topic 2

The exorcism in the final scene of the play proves to be a powerful symbol for the way that the family has chosen to move forward. Create a list of three things that the exorcism symbolizes in the play. Choose two characters and explain how their roles were pivotal in the success of the final exorcism.

Essay Topic 3

Both Cleotha and Crawley are remembered by their mourning spouses throughout the play. Explain how Crawley and Cleotha died and compare/contrast the ways that their spouses keep their memories alive.

(see the answer keys)

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