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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 has Wining Boy brought to the city to pawn?

2. Who teases Doaker about the women who are after him?

3. After Lymon comes home from work and changes, what does he want to go into the city looking for?

4. What is the name of Avery's church?

5. Which character is afraid to sleep upstairs alone?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. How did Avery get the idea to switch his profession to preacher?

4. What trade was made between the Charles and Sutter families at Ophelia's request?

5. What reason does Berniece give her brother for wanting him out of the house?

6. When Wining Boy arrives at Doaker's home, he wants to know what is happening with Boy Willie and his sales. What does Doaker tell him?

7. What happens when Berniece threatens Boy Willie with the gun?

8. What role does Berniece play in the exorcism of Sutter's ghost?

9. Why did Berneice stop playing the piano as a child?

10. What type of encounter does Boy Willie explain that he has had with the piano's potential buyer on his way home from Grace's?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The title of this play has special significance within the meaning of the play. What do you think is the true "piano lesson," and why do you think August Wilson chose to title his play this way?

Essay Topic 2

There are many examples of prisons throughout this play, which are figurative, symbolic, and literal. Choose two examples of imprisonments that the characters find themselves in and compare/contrast the impact of the imprisonment in one of the character's lives. Briefly explain what that character does to fight against the various imprisonments in his or her life.

Essay Topic 3

Berniece finds herself in many romantic relationships throughout the course of the play. Briefly describe the three romantic relationships that she has and list the positive and negative aspects of each relationship in Berniece's life.

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