"How It Feels to Be Colored Me"

What central idea does Hurston emphasize with the phrase "became colored" in paragraph 2?

• Race is not the foundation of her identity

• Her skin color changed when she turned thirteen

• Social context influences how she feels about her racial identity

• She did not always feel discriminated against because of her color

Tags

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

The author does not include the standard English punctuation in the phrase "Howdy-do-well-I-thank-you-where-you-goin'?" in paragraph 3 in order to

• poke fun at her own dialect

• demonstrate regional speech patterns

• contrast her speech with that of the tourists

• convey a realistic depiction of how she spoke

Tags

CCSS.L.9-10.2

CCSS.L.9-10.3

CCSS.RI.9-10.6

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

Which stylized phrase in paragraphs 3-4 most effectively captures Hurston's feelings about her interactions with the tourists who passed through her childhood town?

• "Proscenium box for a born first-nighter." (Par 3)

• "If one of my family happened to come to the front in time to see me, of course negotiations would be rudely broken off." (Par 3)

• "I was the first 'welcome-to-our-state' Floridian..." (Par 3)

• "They liked to hear me 'speak pieces' and sing and wanted to see me dance the parse-me-la, and gave me generously of their small silver for doing these things..." (Par 4)

Tags

CCSS.L.9-10.5

CCSS.RL.9-10.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

What inference can readers make based on the details of paragraph 5?

• Hurston's color eclipsed other parts of her identity

• Hurston was discriminated against because of her color.

• The population of Jacksonville was predominately white.

• As a thirteen-year-old, Hurston did not like her new school.

Tags

CCSS.RL.9-10.1

Which reason in paragraph 7 best supports Hurston's claim that she is not "tragically colored"? (Par 6)

• "Someone is always at my elbow reminding me that I am the grand-daughter of slaves."

• "Slavery is sixty years in the past."

• "No one on earth ever had a greater chance for glory."

• "...I shall get twice as much praise or twice as much blame."

Tags

CCSS.RL.9-10.1

What point does Hurston make with the metaphor she develops in Paragraph 10?

• Hurston sometimes feels overwhelmed by the way others see her

• Hurston's own identity remains intact despite external circumstances.

• Hurston fears that her racial identity will be eroded by her surroundings.

• Hurston's feelings about her color cannot be easily washed away by outside forces.

Tags

CCSS.L.9-10.5

CCSS.RL.9-10.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

CCSS.W.9-10.9

From the description of the performance at the jazz club, the reader can infer that

• the New World Cabaret does not have many white patrons

• the author values jazz as a part of her cultural heritage

• the musicians in the orchestra are African American

• the white friend did not enjoy the performance

Tags

CCSS.RL.9-10.1

Which sentence in paragraph 11 most effectively expresses Hurston's physical connection with the music at The New World Cabaret?

• "It constricts the throat and splits the heart with its tempos and narcotic harmonies."

• "I hurl it true to the mark yeeeooww!"

• "I am in the jungle and living in the jungle way."

• "My pulse is throbbing like a war drum."

Tags

CCSS.L.9-10.5

CCSS.RL.9-10.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

What evidence does Hurston give to support her claim that her white friend was not as affected as she was by the music at the jazz club?

• He remains motionless as the orchestra plays.

• He merely says the music is "good".

• He looks disinterested.

• He turns pale.

Tags

CCSS.RL.9-10.1

CCSS.W.9-10.9

Which sentence best summarizes the ideas in paragraphs 14-16?

• There are several markers that contribute to Hurston's perception of self.

• Sometimes Hurston defines herself by her gender more than her race.

• Hurston feels the same way about her race and her nationality.

• When Hurston is discriminated against, she takes it personally.

Tags

CCSS.RI.9-10.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2