Characterize the communication among the band members, Ma Rainey and her entourage, and Irvin and Sturdyvant. If you were a counselor for this group, charged with helping its members gain insight into the ways in which they communicate, what issues would you explore and what changes in behavior would you suggest?

Ma Rainey suggests that white people do not really understand the blues, that only blacks can truly relate to the blues. Do you agree with this thinking? Why or why not? Compare Ma Rainey as a feminist figure to a feminist figure of today. Before starting, be sure to research the role of women, particularly black women in America in the 1920s.

Each of Ma Rainey's band members has a story to tell that embodies something representative of the black experience. Write a story that you believe is representative of the...