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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. In Scene 10, what has Imelda Marcos accused of doing regarding her Film Center construction workers?

2. At the beginning of Dogeaters, who does the announcer say has just met with the Marcoses?

3. Why is Senator Avila well known in the Philippines?

4. In Scene 11, whose accusations does Imelda Marcos deny?

5. What type of frame for the narrative of the play is introduced in Scene 2?

Short Essay Questions

1. How are Tito Alvarez and Lolita Luna greeted at Studio 54 in Scene 14?

2. How do Trini and Romeo meet in Scene 6?

3. How does Pucha treat the waiter in Scene 9?

4. How does Senator Avila relate to his right-wing counterparts in Scene 12?

5. Describe the cafe in Scene 9.

6. Describe Daisy and Santos meeting in Scene 8.

7. Describe the speech that Avila delivers in Scene 7.

8. What do Nestor and Barbara say about Philippines history in Scene 2?

9. Who do Nestor and Barbara introduce in Scene 2?

10. In Scene 4, how does Uncle goad Joey?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Because the world of Dogeaters is a panorama of many characters, the intersection between high and low society is dramatized in the characters. Write an essay about three strata of Philippine society as dramatized in the play:

Part 1) Discuss the golfing party of Alacran, Ledesma, and Avila. What does this group illustrate about the ruling class in the Philippines? Are they all of a single mind? Where does their power derive from?

Part 2) Discuss the working class in the Philippines as represented by Romeo and Trini. What options are open to these individuals? What limitations do they face? Discuss how the play leaves both of these characters. What does this say about the working class in the Philippines?

Part 3) How do Perlita and Chiquiting represent a sort of intersection between the ruling and the working classes? What connection do they have between both groups? How does this make them the safest and least happy of social groups?

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay about the influence of American culture on the Manila of Dogeaters. Discuss individual examples of appropriated American culture in the city. Which characters have taken on American personas? What do you think America represents to the people of the Philippines at this point in its history?

Essay Topic 3

In the Manila of Dogeaters, dictator Ferdinand Marcos and his wife Imelda rely on the use of entertainment to pacify dissent and codify their power. Write a three part essay about the way the Marcoses use entertainment to consolidate power:

Part 1) Discuss the purpose of Imelda Marcoses film festival. How does the first lady characterize this festival? What are her aspirations, and how does the populace react to the arrival of stars and auteurs?

Part 2) Discuss the characters of Tito Alvarez and Lolita Luna. What are their entertainment personas and how do these personas dovetail with the Marcos aesthetic? How do these movie stars become entwined in the political?

Part 3) In summation, explore the way Imelda Marcos interacts with the media in the play. What image does the first lady want to project to her people, and how does she use the radio/television interview to do this?

(see the answer keys)

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