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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Doug offer to Sandy as she is being released from jail?

2. How do Curt and Beth decide to get to their destination for the evening at the end of Act 1, Scene 4?

3. Why is the massage parlor's location so important?

4. What is Curt's job?

5. What changes would Sandy like to see happen with her job?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Curt's love of nature and birds reveal about him?

2. Why is Beth jealous in Act 1, Scene 4?

3. Are there reasons in the play that indicate that Heather should have been fired from her job?

4. Why is Sandy arrested?

5. Sandy gives Curt a special massage to try to ease his tension. What does Sandy do during the special massage?

6. Is there evidence in the play to support Beth's feelings about Curt spending time with Sandy?

7. Before the massage starts, Sandy has Curt sign a paper. Should Curt sign the paper, or is signing it foreshadowing bad things to come?

8. Are Curt and Beth in love?

9. What makes Curt and Sandy's time together in Act 1, Scene 1, seem awkward?

10. Is Doug a hard worker? Use evidence from Act 1, Scene 7, to support your answer.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The title of the play is "Blue Surge."

1. How is it an appropriate title for this play? Use examples to support.

2. Is it still an appropriate title when we meet the characters a year later? Why or why not? Use examples to support.

3. What would need to change in the play so that the title would no longer make sense?

Essay Topic 2

Beth spends a great deal of time encouraging Curt to improve himself and advance his career.

1. Does Beth want Curt to improve and get a promotion because she loves him? Have examples to support.

2. Why does Curt believe that Beth only keeps him around so she can feel good about herself while she looks down on him? Have examples to support.

3. What might be another motive of Beth's that causes her to continue to encourage Curt to get his promotion? Use examples from the play to support.

Essay Topic 3

The title of the play is "Blue Surge," and there is a song that Curt likes that is titled "Blue Serge."

1. What does "Surge" mean? What does "Serge" mean? What is the difference between the two titles?

2. What did the song "Blue Serge" mean to Curt when he thought the title was "Blue Surge"?

3. How is the title "Blue Surge" appropriate for this play? Use examples from the text.

(see the answer keys)

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