The Subject Was Roses | Short Essay Assignments

Short Essay Questions

The 60 short essay questions listed in this section require a one to two sentence answer. They ask students to demonstrate a deeper understanding of the text. Students must describe what they've read, rather than just recall it.

Short Essay Question - Act 1, Scene 1

1. What is the setting and date for "The Subject was Roses", and why are they significant?

2. What is the state of the Clearys' apartment in the beginning of the play and why?

3. What is John doing with Timmy's army jacket in Scene 1, and why?

4. What happened to Timmy the night before, and how does that lead to Nettie's criticism of John in Act 1, Scene 1?

5. What is the basic difference between the way Nettie and John look at Timmy,...
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