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The Piano Lesson

Quiz

Context

Plot Overview

Character List

Analysis of Major Characters

Themes, Motifs, and Symbols

Act I, Scene 1—Part II

Act I, Scene 1—Part two

Act I, Scene 2—Part I

Act I, Scene 2—Part II

Act II, Scenes 1 and 2

Act III, Scenes 3 and 4

Act II, Scene 5

Act II, Scene 5—Part II

Important Quotations Explained

Key Facts

Study Questions and Essay Topics

Quiz

Suggestions for Further Reading

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The Piano Lesson

August Wilson

Quiz

What is the name of Doaker's grandfather?

(A) Boy Charles

(B) Boy Willie

(D) Charles Boy

Who sees Sutter's ghost first?

(A) Maretha

(B) Doaker

(D) Wining Boy

Who does Lymon intend to give his bottle of perfume?

(A) Dolly

(B) Grace

(D) Maretha

Where did the Yellow Dog get its name?

(A) From the company logo

(B) From the ghosts

(D) From the neighboring delta

How long as it been since Boy Willie has seen his sister?

(A) Two years

(B) One year

(D) Three years

Who murdered Berniece's father?

(A) Robert Sutter

(B) Robert Smith

(D) No one knows

What was the name of the first Berniece's mistress?

(A) Esther

(B) Ola

(D) Ophelia

In what year did Boy Charles steal the piano?

(A) 1911

(B) 1936

(D) 1926

What is the name of the woman in the song the men used to sing at Parchman?

(A) Cleotha

(B) Alberta

(D) Maretha

Who has spoken to the Ghosts of the Yellow Dog?

(A) Avery

(B) Doaker

(D) Boy Willie

What does Lymon give Berniece?

(A) A pair of shoes

(B) A fancy nightgown

(D) A bottle of perfume

Who helped Boy Charles steal the piano?

(A) Doaker

(B) Mama Ola

(D) Boy Willie

Why has Lymon decided to stay in Pittsburgh?

(A) He has fallen in love

(B) He is fleeing the law

(D) He is a wanderer

Who does not sing in the course of the play?

(A) Berniece

(B) Lymon

(D) Avery

When Boy Willie's dog dies, what does he discover?

(A) The power of faith

(B) The power of death

(D) The power of rage

Who plays the piano in the household on a regular basis?

(A) Berniece

(B) Maretha

(D) Boy Willie

What does Boy Willie play for his niece?

(A) A ragtime piece

(B) An etude

(D) An old spiritual

When does the play begin?

(A) At dawn

(B) At night

(D) In the evening

What is Avery's daytime job?

(A) He is a preacher

(B) He is a railway man

(D) He is an elevator man

What does Boy Willie tell his customers when selling his watermelons?

(A) That they were picked that very day

(B) That they are locally grown

(D) That they are organic

What painter inspired The Piano Lesson?

(A) Cesar Romare

(B) Romare Bearden

(D) None of the above

What food does Maretha abhor?

(A) Chicken

(B) Watermelon

(D) Collared greens

What is Berniece's job?

(A) She leads a church choir

(B) She is a schoolteacher

(D) She is a cleaning lady

What accessory does Lymon add to the outfit he purchases from Wining Boy?

(A) A top hat

(B) A straw hat

(D) Cologne

What award did The Piano Lesson win in 1990?

(A) The Tony

(B) The Pulitzer Prize

(D) The National Book Award

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The Piano Lesson

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