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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 does Mrs. Ellsworth rely on to choose protegees?

2. Which two characters are introduced first?

3. What did Oceola do in college?

4. How does Oceola feel about Mrs. Ellsworth's offer?

5. What kind of dresses does Mrs. Ellsworth have her dressmaker come up with?

Short Essay Questions

1. How did Oceola manage to attend college?

2. What does Mrs. Ellsworth enjoy spending her resources on?

3. What does Mrs. Ellsworth try to get Oceola to do after she finds out information about the boarder?

4. What does Mrs. Ellsworth think that Oceola needs to do in order to realize her potential?

5. What did Oceola's mother do when they moved to St. Louis?

6. What does Mrs. Ellsworth say to Oceola concerning Pete at the end of "The Blues I'm Playing"?

7. What does Mrs. Ellsworth choose to see art as after her experiences with Oceola?

8. Describe Oceola Jones.

9. How does Mrs. Ellsworth feel about Pete?

10. How did Oceola support herself before she met Mrs. Ellsworth?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Many themes and characters run through "The Blues I'm Playing." All provide important insight, but some may be more influential or significant than others. What character representation was the strongest and most significant in the story besides the two main characters of Mrs. Ellsworth and Oceola? How do all the themes and characters come together in one message? What message did the author intend to give through this story?

Essay Topic 2

In "The Blues I'm Playing," there are two main characters who have very different outlooks on life, even though they both cherish the same art. Their different motivations drive their actions. What motivates Mrs. Ellsworth's actions? What motivates Oceola's actions? How do their different outlooks on music affect their motivations? Make sure you answer each question and use examples from the story to support your answer.

Essay Topic 3

Usually, a clear transformation can be seen in the characters of piece of a literature, but it is not so apparent in "The Blues I'm Playing." Have Oceola and Mrs. Ellsworth transformed in any way? How has Mrs. Ellsworth changed, and how has she stayed the same? How has Oceola changed, and how has she stayed the same?

(see the answer keys)

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