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.