Sonny's Blues

Multiple Choice and Long Answer questions create ideal opportunities for whole-book review, unit exam, or summative assessments.

Multiple Choice

1. What is the street name for heroin in “Sonny’s Blues”?

A) Meth

B) Hash

C) Blue Angel

D) Horse

2. What technique is used when the narrator says he had “ice in my guts”?

A) Simile

B) Metaphor

C) Hyperbole

D) Diction

3. What reason does Sonny give for using heroin?

A) To feel in control

B) To forget painful memories

C) To feel invincible

D) To feel nothing

4. What is the age difference between the narrator and Sonny?

A) Two years

B) Five years

C) Seven years

D) 10 years

5. Which country did Sonny want to visit as a child?

A) India

B) Jamaica

C) Thailand

D) Peru

6. How does the narrator escape poverty?

A) By joining the army

B) By becoming a doctor

C) By becoming a teacher

D) By joining the navy

7. What secret does the narrator learn from his mother soon after his father dies?

A) His father had a brother who died at a young age.

B) His father had unintentionally killed two white men.

C) His father had been previously married and had other children.

D) His father had dreamed of being a musician.

8. How does the narrator’s attitude toward Sonny change over the course of the story?

A) It changes from frustration to understanding.

B) It changes from concern to ambivalence.

C) It changes from anger to despair.

D) It changes from compassion to judgment.

9. What is implied when the narrator sends a Scotch and milk over to Sonny at the piano?

A) The narrator still sees Sonny’s dream of becoming a musician as childish.

B) The narrator is removing himself as a member of Sonny’s family.

C) The narrator has accepted Sonny’s choice to become a musician.

D) The narrator expects Sonny to buy him a drink in return for coming to the club.

10. When the narrator hears Sonny play the piano, what memories resurface?

A) He remembers all the times he has tried unsuccessfully to save Sonny.

B) He remembers his mother’s final request to him to care for Sonny.

C) He remembers his own childhood dreams that he neglected for a life of responsibility.

D) He remembers the eternal bonds that tie him to his family members.

Long Answer

Compose a response of 2-3 sentences, incorporating text details to support your response.

1. When Sonny starts living with Isabel’s family after Mama died, he starts skipping school. Where is he going and what is he doing?

2. Why does the narrator write to Sonny when his own daughter, Gracie, dies?