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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 name does Merv call Sara by when they are left alone during Act 1, Scene 4?

2. When Gorgeous is alone with Pfeni during Act 2, Scene 1, what does she say about Geoffrey?

3. What is the name of the friend Merv and Sara have in common?

4. How does Merv respond to Sara regarding her assessment of their compatibility the morning after their night together?

5. What is Gorgeous's angry reply regarding Sara in the emotional scene during Act 2, Scene 1?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the significance of Merv calling Sara by the name Sadie?

2. Describe the mood as Act 1, Scene 4 opens.

3. Describe Pfeni and Geoffrey's relationship in Act 2, Scene 1.

4. What truth does Gorgeous speak to Pfeni about Geoffrey?

5. Who do the three sisters toast and why?

6. Explain the two epiphanies Geoffrey has at the beginning of Act 2, Scene 2 regarding Pfeni.

7. Why might Sara refuse to sing for Merv?

8. How does Merv compare Sara to pre-war Jewish women?

9. What is implied by Geoffrey in his scene with Pfeni when he talks of friends dying unfulfilled?

10. Which sister seems to be the most truthful in Act 2, Scene 1 and why?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Though the play is not a musical, music plays a part. The play opens with the girls' choir, and it closes with a mother and daughter singing. Music is a big part of Geoffrey's life, and listening to records is part of Merv and Sara's courtship. Song and dance is performed more than once in the play. Discuss the role of music in the play and what it represents in various scenes and to various characters.

Essay Topic 2

Passion--or lack of it--plays a part in the play. Choose two characters and discuss the passion in their life (or lack thereof). Remember that passion can be work or a cause or something other than a relationship. Discuss how (if at all) their passion changes during the course of the play.

Essay Topic 3

Sara is repeatedly described as "bitter" and "cold" and "hard." Discuss her emotional journey throughout the play. Offer specific examples of her hardness, then her gradual softening. What incidents cause some of the changes along her journey?

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