The Piano Lesson

Test Preparation

The Piano Lesson

Your Complete Test Preparation Guide (For Grades 7-12)

Multiple Choice Questions , Short Essay & Essay Questions, Mid -Book & Final Test

Multiple Choice Questions The Multiple Choice Questions in this Test Preparation Guide will test a student's understanding of The Piano Lesson . The questions are broken out into sections, so they focus on specific chapters within The Piano Lesson . This allows you to test and review the book as you proceed through the unit.

Short Essay Questions The Short Essay Questions listed in this section require a one to two sentence answer. They ask students to demonstrate a deeper understanding of The Piano Lesson by describing what they have read, rather than just recalling it. The short essay questions evaluate not only whether students have read the material, but also how well they understand and can apply it. They require more thought than a multiple choice question, but are shorter than the essay questions.

Essay Questions Students should have a full understanding of the unit material in order to answer these questions. They often include multiple parts of the work and ask for a thorough analysis of the overall text. These essays are designed to challenge a student's understanding of the broad points in a work, interactions among the characters, and main points and themes of the text.

Mid-Book Test (Easy, Medium and Hard)

Final Test (Easy, Medium and Hard)

Answer Keys

1. What is the last name of the family that the story focuses on? (a) Doaker. (b) Charles. (c) Brown. (d) Sutter.

2. Lymon and Boy Willie have come to sell what fruit? (a) Tomatoes. (b) Watermelon. (c) Bananas. (d) Strawberries.

3. Berniece and her uncle live in which city? (a) Petosky. (b) Philadelphia. (c) Pacifica. (d) Pittsburgh.

4. Which character admits to having spent time in prison? (a) Uncle Doaker. (b) Berniece. (c) Boy Willie. (d) Lymon.

5. What color is the ghost that Lyman claims killed Sutter? (a) Red. (b) Green. (c) Yellow. (d) Blue.

6. What instrument does Boy Willie hope to sell to make a bit of money? (a) A trombone. (b) A drum kit. (c) A cello. (d) A piano.

7. Which character admits to being on the run from the police? (a) Sutter. (b) Uncle Doaker. (c) Boy Willie. (d) Lymon.

1 8. What is the name of Berniece's daughter? (a) Maretha. (b) Margret. (c) Molly. (d) Mama Ola.

9. What was Wining Boy's profession? (a) He was a coal miner. (b) He was a recording star. (c) He was a wine maker. (d) He was a backup dancer.

10. Which character used to polish the piano every morning? (a) Boy Willie. (b) Berniece. (c) Mama Ola. (d) Uncle Doaker.

11. What does Boy Willie hope to buy from Sutter? (a) His house. (b) His land. (c) His crops. (d) His piano.

12. Whose ghost does Berniece think she has seen? (a) Sutter. (b) Wining Boy. (c) Mama Ola. (d) Lymon.

13. What name was the ghost repeating? (a) Uncle Doaker. (b) Lymon. (c) Boy Willie. (d) Mama Ola.

14. What color is the ghost wearing? (a) Green. (b) Blue. (c) Yellow. (d) Red.

2 164. Who overhears the conversation between Berniece and Maretha and tells Berniece that she is saying horrible things to her daughter? (a) Doaker. (b) Lymon. (c) Boy Willie. (d) Wining Boy.

165. Boy Willie thinks that Berniece is teaching Maretha to live where? (a) At the top of life. (b) At exacly the right place in society. (c) At the bottom of life. (d) Above her station.

166. What advice does Berniece give to Maretha as she is combing her hair? (a) To hold her head up. (b) To purse her lips to attract attention. (c) To cross her legs like a lady. (d) To straighten her back.

167. When Boy Willie states that he can hear his heart beating, how does he claim it beats? (a) Softer than everyone else's heart. (b) Just as loud as everyone else's heart. (c) Boy Willie says that he had no heart left to beat. (d) Louder than everyone else's heart.

168. Which character arrives holding a Bible, preparing for the exorcism? (a) Dolly. (b) Avery. (c) Doaker. (d) Grace.

169. What role will Berniece play in Avery's new church? (a) An elder. (b) A deaconess. (c) The secretary. (d) The choir director.

170. Who does Avery believe is the only one that has the power to exorcise Sutter's ghost? (a) Boy Charles. (b) Himself. (c) God. (d) The angels.

25 171. Who arrives to the final scene late with rope to move the piano? (a) Dolly, (b) Lymon. (c) Grace. (d) Wining Boy.

172. Who does Berniece order out of the room once she pulls the gun? (a) Avery. (b) Doaker. (c) Maretha. (d) Boy Willie.

173. Which character arrives to the final scene late and drunk? (a) Dolly. (b) Lymon. (c) Grace. (d) Wining Boy.

174. WIning Boy has written a song about whom, which he plays in the final scene of the play? (a) Crawley. (b) Mama Ola. (c) Boy Charles. (d) Cleotha.

175. What does Wining Boy do when Boy Willie tries to move him from the piano? (a) He clenches his fists around the sheets of music. (b) He spreads his arms over the keys. (c) He lays his head down on the piano lid. (d) He wraps his legs around the piano bench, refusing to budge.

176. Which character arrives to the final scene late, searching for Lymon to go to the movies? (a) Mama Ola. (b) Maretha. (c) Dolly. (d) Grace.

177. Which of the following items does Avery NOT use during his exorcism of the house? (a) A Bible. (b) A wooden cross. (c) A bottle of holy water. (d) A lit candle.

26 178. What does Boy Willie grab from the stove and throw about the house? (a) A pan of scrambled eggs. (b) A pot of water. (c) A mug of milk. (d) A bowl of cherries.

179. Which character begins to play the piano, calling out to the family's ancestors to save the situation? (a) Berniece. (b) Doaker. (c) Maretha. (d) Boy Willie.

180. What are the final words spoken in the play before the stage lights fade to black? (a) "Get out." (b) "The piano is safe now." (c) "Thank you." (d) "God bless this house."

27 Short Answer Questions

1. What is the last name of the family that the story focuses on?

2. Lymon and Boy Willie have come to sell what fruit?

3. Berniece and her uncle live in which city?

4. Which character admits to having spent time in prison?

5. What color is the ghost that Lyman claims killed Sutter?

6. What instrument does Boy Willie hope to sell to make a bit of money?

7. Which character admits to being on the run from the police?

29 8. What is the name of Berniece's daughter?

9. What was Wining Boy's profession?

10. Which character used to polish the piano every morning?

11. What does Boy Willie hope to buy from Sutter?

12. Whose ghost does Berniece think she has seen?

13. What name was the ghost repeating?

14. What color is the ghost wearing?

30 15. How does Boy Willie react to Berniece's claim that she has seen a ghost?

16. Whose death does Berniece accuse Boy Willie of having a hand in?

17. What does Boy Willie encourage Berniece to do to get rid of the ghost?

18. Where does Berniece bring her daughter at the end of the first act, in the first scene?

19. Doaker works for what type of transportation?

20. What does Doaker do for a living?

21. What type of song does Maretha play on the piano?

31 169. What role will Berniece play in Avery's new church?

170. Who does Avery believe is the only one that has the power to exorcise Sutter's ghost?

171. Who arrives to the final scene late with rope to move the piano?

172. Who does Berniece order out of the room once she pulls the gun?

173. Which character arrives to the final scene late and drunk?

174. WIning Boy has written a song about whom, which he plays in the final scene of the play?

175. What does Wining Boy do when Boy Willie tries to move him from the piano?

53 176. Which character arrives to the final scene late, searching for Lymon to go to the movies?

177. Which of the following items does Avery NOT use during his exorcism of the house?

178. What does Boy Willie grab from the stove and throw about the house?

179. Which character begins to play the piano, calling out to the family's ancestors to save the situation?

180. What are the final words spoken in the play before the stage lights fade to black?

54 Short Answer Questions Key

1. What is the last name of the family that the story focuses on?

Charles.

2. Lymon and Boy Willie have come to sell what fruit?

Watermelon.

3. Berniece and her uncle live in which city?

Pittsburgh.

4. Which character admits to having spent time in prison?

Boy Willie.

5. What color is the ghost that Lyman claims killed Sutter?

Yellow.

6. What instrument does Boy Willie hope to sell to make a bit of money?

A piano.

7. Which character admits to being on the run from the police?

Lymon.

55 8. What is the name of Berniece's daughter?

Maretha.

9. What was Wining Boy's profession?

He was a recording star.

10. Which character used to polish the piano every morning?

Mama Ola.

11. What does Boy Willie hope to buy from Sutter?

His land.

12. Whose ghost does Berniece think she has seen?

Sutter.

13. What name was the ghost repeating?

Boy Willie.

14. What color is the ghost wearing?

Blue.

56 15. How does Boy Willie react to Berniece's claim that she has seen a ghost?

He thinks she is being ridiculous.

16. Whose death does Berniece accuse Boy Willie of having a hand in?

Crawley's.

17. What does Boy Willie encourage Berniece to do to get rid of the ghost?

Sell the piano.

18. Where does Berniece bring her daughter at the end of the first act, in the first scene?

To school.

19. Doaker works for what type of transportation?

Trains.

20. What does Doaker do for a living?

He is a cook.

21. What type of song does Maretha play on the piano?

A beginner's song.

57 162. Who does Boy Willie accuse, other than Avery, of picking and choosing the scriptures that they believe in?

Berniece.

163. What does Berniece tell Maretha would make the process of combing her hair easier?

If Maretha were a boy.

164. Who overhears the conversation between Berniece and Maretha and tells Berniece that she is saying horrible things to her daughter?

Boy Willie.

165. Boy Willie thinks that Berniece is teaching Maretha to live where?

At the bottom of life.

166. What advice does Berniece give to Maretha as she is combing her hair?

To hold her head up.

167. When Boy Willie states that he can hear his heart beating, how does he claim it beats?

Just as loud as everyone else's heart.

168. Which character arrives holding a Bible, preparing for the exorcism?

Avery.

78 169. What role will Berniece play in Avery's new church?

A deaconess.

170. Who does Avery believe is the only one that has the power to exorcise Sutter's ghost?

God.

171. Who arrives to the final scene late with rope to move the piano?

Lymon.

172. Who does Berniece order out of the room once she pulls the gun?

Maretha.

173. Which character arrives to the final scene late and drunk?

Wining Boy.

174. WIning Boy has written a song about whom, which he plays in the final scene of the play?

Cleotha.

175. What does Wining Boy do when Boy Willie tries to move him from the piano?

He spreads his arms over the keys.

79 176. Which character arrives to the final scene late, searching for Lymon to go to the movies?

Grace.

177. Which of the following items does Avery NOT use during his exorcism of the house?

A wooden cross.

178. What does Boy Willie grab from the stove and throw about the house?

A pot of water.

179. Which character begins to play the piano, calling out to the family's ancestors to save the situation?

Berniece.

180. What are the final words spoken in the play before the stage lights fade to black?

"Thank you."

80 Short Essay Questions

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

2. What reaction does the family have to Boy Willie's sudden arrival at their doorstep?

3. What does Boy Willie claim has happened to the man named Sutter?

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

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

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

7. Why does Boy Willie tease Doaker about his profession?

81 8. What connection does Doaker make between travel and happiness?

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

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

11. What happens when Boy Willie continues to insist that he be told the name of the prospective buyer for the piano?

12. Why has Avery shown up at the Charles home?

13. 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?

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

82 49. What does Boy Willie claim is the history of the railroad known as the Yellow Dog line?

50. How does Berniece find out that Boy Willie intends to remove the piano that day, and how does she respond?

51. Why does Berniece send Maretha to the store on the day that Boy Willie intends to remove the piano?

52. What story does Boy Willie tell his sister about the dog he had as a child?

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

54. What religious rationalization does Boy WIllie have for the revenge he is seeking against the Sutter family?

55. What confrontation do Boy Willie and Berniece get into as Boy Willie watches Berniece comb Maretha's hair?

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

57. When Avery arrives with his Bible to begin the exorcism, what information does he give Doaker about the state of the new church?

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

59. What kind of fight does Boy Willie get into with Sutter's ghost?

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

89 Short Essay Questions Key

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

Boy Willie and Lymon have traveled from Mississippi to Pittsburgh in a rickety wooden truck full of watermelons that they hope to sell. They have come to Pittsburgh because Boy Willie has family there, and the men hope the family will look after them.

2. What reaction does the family have to Boy Willie's sudden arrival at their doorstep?

Berniece is shocked to see him, wary of his presence and quite suspicious of his reasons for being in the city, repeatedly asking him to leave. Uncle Doaker, on the other hand, is a bit more welcoming, even offering Boy Willie a drink of liquor.

3. What does Boy Willie claim has happened to the man named Sutter?

Boy Willie claims that the man who used to own his family as slaves was killed by the Ghosts of the Yellow Dog. Supposedly, the ghosts pushed Sutter into his own well and drowned him.

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

Boy Willie wants to sell the piano so that he can purchase Sutter's land, the very land that his family used to work as slaves. It becomes very clear that Berniece will never sell the piano, and Boy Willie becomes frustrated because the piano is also half his.

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

Berniece states that wherever Boy Willie goes, trouble follows. She cites the death of her husband, claiming that Boy Willie was somehow involved. Also, when she finds out that Lymon is running from the police, she demands that the two men leave so that she won't get in trouble with the law.

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

Berniece claims that she has seen Sutter's ghost wearing a blue suit and holding his head so that it doesn't fall off. She says that the ghost was repeating Boy Willie's name, which leads her to believe that Boy Willie is responsible for Sutter's death.

7. Why does Boy Willie tease Doaker about his profession?

Boy Willie teases Doaker because all the women in town put on their best dresses in the hopes of catching Doaker's eye when the train that he cooks on comes into town.

8. What connection does Doaker make between travel and happiness?

Doaker believes that people are always running from their problems, and their lives would be so much happier if they stayed in one place, appreciating life's simplicities.

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

Maretha can only play simple beginner songs, so Boy Willie teaches her a more advanced boogie-woogie. He also promises to teach her the significance of the African carvings on the piano's legs.

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

Avery had a dream in which three hobos led him to a room full of sheep needing protection from a valley of wolves. He believed the dream told him to go and preach the word of the Lord.

11. What happens when Boy Willie continues to insist that he be told the name of the prospective buyer for the piano?

Boy Willie is told repeatedly that there is no way that Berniece will ever sell the piano. As retaliation, Boy Willie threatens to chop the piano in half so that he will get the inheritance that is rightfully his.

91 12. Why has Avery shown up at the Charles home?

Avery arrives at the Charles home because he and Berniece have an appointment at the bank to get a loan for his new church, The Good Shepherd.

13. 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?

Doaker tells Wining Boy that Boy Willie and Lymon have come up from the south, hoping to sell watermelons in rich white neighborhoods. However, no one will buy from them, and their truck continually breaks down, creating even more financial troubles.

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

Wining Boy says that he saw the Ghosts of the Yellow dog when he was down at the railroad station. After he met the ghosts, he had good luck for three years after. Wining Boy also states that he can feel the ghosts of the town breezing through the winds whenever he returns home.

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

Boy Willie believes that it doesn't matter if a white man treats him badly because he will just treat the white man badly in return. He also believes that the white man's laws have no jurisdiction over him, and he has created his own set of laws to govern his life.

16. What were the effects of the lumber theft that the men in the play were involved in?

Boy Willie, Lymon, and Crawley were attempting to steal lumber from a group of white men. In the process, Crawley was killed, Lymon was shot in the stomach, and both Lymon and Boy Willie were sent to prison.

92 52. What story does Boy Willie tell his sister about the dog he had as a child?

Boy Willie tells Berniece that when his pet dog died, he begged the priest to resurrect him. When the priest failed to do it, Boy Willie went out into the neighborhood and killed a cat so that he could understand the power of death.

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

When Berniece threatens Boy Willie with the gun, Boy Willie claims that he is not afraid of death. After he killed the cat and realized that he had power of life and death, he realized that he was equal to the white man since both have the power to kill.

54. What religious rationalization does Boy WIllie have for the revenge he is seeking against the Sutter family?

Boy Willie quotes the verse from the Bible stating, "...an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth..." as rationalization for his revenge. He states that Berniece and Avery both pick and choose the scripture they believe in, and that if they believe in some of the Bible, they should believe in all of it, including the parts about revenge.

55. What confrontation do Boy Willie and Berniece get into as Boy Willie watches Berniece comb Maretha's hair?

Boy Willie does not like that Berniece has told Maretha that the process of combing her hair would be much easier if she were a boy. Boy Willie also believes that Berniece should be teaching Maretha to respect and be proud of the history of the piano. Boy Willie believes that parents should teach their children how to transcend the racism of society. Berniece tells Boy Willie to mind his own business and that once he has children of his own, he can raise them however he would like to.

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

Boy Willie realizes that his heart beats just as loud and just as strong as anyone else's heart. Boy Willie believes that many people fear the beating heart of a black man, and to pacify those people, Boy Willie has always done exactly what was expected of him. He has vowed to follow his heart from now on.

100 57. When Avery arrives with his Bible to begin the exorcism, what information does he give Doaker about the state of the new church?

Avery announces that the bank is very excited to get the church going and has been very positive about the loan. Avery says that he cannot wait to get the church started and to get Berniece in as a deaconess. Berniece, again, reiterates that she is not ready to sign on for any relationship with Avery, either romantic or professional.

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

Avery begins by lighting a candle, sprinkling holy water around the room, and praying, reciting verses from his Bible. It is all going well until Boy Willie snaps, saying that you can't ask a spirit to leave the house. You have to tell the spirit to leave and, possibly, force it to.

59. What kind of fight does Boy Willie get into with Sutter's ghost?

Boy Willie begins screaming, demanding that Sutter leave their house alone. Boy Willie goes upstairs to confront the ghost, but he is stopped by an unseen force in the stairwell, thrown backward, and choked. Boy Willie does not give up easily and charges back upstairs to face the ghost. Fighting is heard by the audience.

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

When the fighting between Boy Willie and Sutter becomes too overwhelming upstairs, Berniece returns to the piano and begins playing an old song, praying and begging her ancestors to return and alleviate the situation, which they do.

101 Essay Topics

Essay Topic 1

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 2

The women in this play are portrayed as weak in comparison to the men in the play. Choose one female character in the play and give two examples of the ways that they are overpowered by the male characters. Then, discuss the female character's reaction to the overpowering male characters. Essay Topic 3

Boy Willie and Berniece have an equal claim to the piano in the play. Explain the reason why the siblings have come into possession of the piano. Compare/contrast the way that both of the siblings view the piano's place in their past and their future. Essay Topic 4

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 5

The Charles family spends a lot of time arguing about their family legacy. Choose one instance in which the Charles family attempts to discuss their family history. What object is used as a symbol for their family's legacy? How is that object treated by the family? How does the treatment of the object reflect the family history it will leave behind? Essay Topic 6

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.

102 as a unique symbol for that character's storyline. Briefly discuss that character's relationship with the piano as a result of that symbolism. Essay Topic 16

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. Essay Topic 17

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 18

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 19

The text of "The Piano Lesson" is presented as a play rather than straight prose. What reasons do you think August Wilson had to present his story this way? What was gained in the form of stage writing? What was lost? Essay Topic 20

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.

105 Eight Week Quiz G

Name: ______Period: ______

This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Act 2, Scene 5, Part 2. Multiple Choice Questions

1. Who asks Boy Willie about the outcome of his date with the young woman? (a) Doaker. (b) Lymon. (c) Boy Willie. (d) Berniece.

2. How does Berniece respond to the unexpected gift from Lymon? (a) She kisses Lymon. (b) She refuses Lymon's gift. (c) She slaps Lymon. (d) She laughs in Lymon's face.

3. Boy Willie thinks that Berniece is teaching Maretha to live where? (a) At exacly the right place in society. (b) At the top of life. (c) Above her station. (d) At the bottom of life.

4. Which character is afraid to sleep upstairs alone? (a) Berniece. (b) Lymon. (c) Maretha. (d) Doaker.

5. Why does Lymon say that his date has been canceled? (a) Because his date ate too much. (b) Because his date wore too much perfume. (c) Because his date swore too much. (d) Because his date drank too much.

136 Short Answer Questions

1. What does Boy Willie leave the house to retrieve, hoping that it will help him move the piano?

2. What is the name of the young woman that Boy Willie comes home with?

3. The thwarting character demands that the pair wait for which character to return home before selling the piano?

4. Before the dream in which Avery was told to change his profession, what did he do for a living?

5. After his meeting with the landlord, what has Avery come to ask Berniece?

137 Multiple Choice Questions Key

1.B 2.A 3.D 4.C 5.D

Short Answer Questions Key

1. What does Boy Willie leave the house to retrieve, hoping that it will help him move the piano?

Rope.

2. What is the name of the young woman that Boy Willie comes home with?

Grace.

3. The thwarting character demands that the pair wait for which character to return home before selling the piano?

Berniece.

4. Before the dream in which Avery was told to change his profession, what did he do for a living?

He was an elevator operator.

5. After his meeting with the landlord, what has Avery come to ask Berniece?

To marry him.

138 Mid-Book Test - Hard

Name: ______Period: ______

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

1. After the story about Boy Charles' death, what does the family hear Maretha doing at the end of the first act?

2. How does Sutter kill Boy Charles?

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

4. Which of the following characters is NOT involved in stealing the piano from the Sutter home?

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

159 Short Essay Questions

1. What connection does Doaker make between travel and happiness?

2. What religious rationalization does Boy WIllie have for the revenge he is seeking against the Sutter family?

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

4. What story does Boy Willie tell his sister about the dog he had as a child?

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

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

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

8. 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?

9. What happens when Boy Willie and Lymon attempt to move the piano for its potential buyer?

10. How did Sutter react to the disappearance of his prized piano?

161 Essay Topics

Essay Topic 1

Because of the history of slavery within the Charles family, there is another prevalent theme of revenge, since the men in the Charles family desire to steal back what was stolen from them by the Sutters.

Part 1. Briefly describe one scene of revenge within the play.

Part 2. Explain why the Charles family member acting on revenge thought that this would earn them back what was stolen.

Part 3. Explain the outcome of the revengeful act. In your opinion. Was it worth the risk of being caught?

Essay Topic 2

Essay Topic 3

The Ghosts of Yellow Dog are important characters within the recurring theme of revenge.

Part 1. Explain the way that the Ghosts of Yellow Dog came to be.

Part 2. Discuss the way that the Ghosts of Yellow Dog exacted their revenge.

Part 3. Briefly discuss the various ways that the townsfolk viewed the acts that were considered to be the work of the Ghosts of Yellow Dog.

162 Short Answer Key

1. After the story about Boy Charles' death, what does the family hear Maretha doing at the end of the first act?

Screaming.

2. How does Sutter kill Boy Charles?

He set him on fire.

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

He was a musician.

4. Which of the following characters is NOT involved in stealing the piano from the Sutter home?

Boy Willie.

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

Moaning

Short Essay Answer Key

1. What connection does Doaker make between travel and happiness?

Doaker believes that people are always running from their problems, and their lives would be so much happier if they stayed in one place, appreciating life's simplicities.

163 2. What religious rationalization does Boy WIllie have for the revenge he is seeking against the Sutter family?

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

4. What story does Boy Willie tell his sister about the dog he had as a child?

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

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

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

Boy Willie's time with Grace is interrupted when her old boyfriend Leroy comes by and tries to get into the apartment. Boy Willie blocks the door with a chair, giving himself enough time to escape.

8. 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?

Boy Willie explains that he has located the potential buyer of the piano who is still interested. The buyer, however, has lowered his offer.

9. What happens when Boy Willie and Lymon attempt to move the piano for its potential buyer?

When Boy Willie and Lymon attempt to move the piano, it refuses to budge. They also hear the same moaning coming from inside that is thought to be the moaning of Sutter's spirit. However, the pair ignore the moaning this time and continue to struggle to move the piano, growing increasingly frustrated.

10. How did Sutter react to the disappearance of his prized piano?

Sutter immediately suspected Boy Charles and sent out a mob searching for him. First, they set fire to Boy Charles home, but when they couldn't locate the piano, found Boy Charles on the Yellow Dog train and set the entire boxcar on fire, killing him and four hobos trapped inside.

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