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

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)

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.

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."

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.

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

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."

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.

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.

Based on Hurston's metaphor of the bags of miscellany, the reader can infer which statement?

• Each person is unique, regardless of his or her color.

• A person's racial identity is made up of several competing factors.

• Every person has complex feelings about his or her own racial identity.

• People of all colors are essentially made of the same human characteristics.