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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 mistakenly recalling Lenin's appearance, what regional appearance does Carr say he bears?

2. What detail of the Russian Revolution is not mentioned by Bennett in this section?

3. What does the Dada artist entitle the work that consists of his name in the snow?

4. The Zimmerwaldists believe the workers of the world need to oppose what?

5. From what object is Tzara drawing slips of paper in the beginning of the play?

Short Essay Questions

1. What parts of Henry Carr's story can be definitively believed by the audience?

2. How does Carr explain the essential pleasure of Switzerland to Bennett at the beginning of this section?

3. Describe the scene at the beginning of the play.

4. How do Gwendolen and Cecily mishandle their folders in the beginning of the play?

5. What is the real reason for Tzara's visit?

6. How did Tristan Tzara discover the word Dada?

7. How does Henry Carr change at the end of his monologue?

8. What is the last straw for Gwen and Cecily regarding Tzara and Carr?

9. What final words of wisdom does Carr offer at the end of the play?

10. How does Bennett describe Tzara?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In the confusion and madness of 1917, the characters of Travesties seem to find their only solace in art. Write an essay examining art as a constant, an anchor that secures individuals buffeted by war and revolution. Focusing on three endeavors in the play, describe the character attitude toward them. Why do they undertake them? What importance do they serve in the mad world of the play?

Part 1) Tristan Tzara and his poetry.

Part 2) James Joyce and Ulysses.

Part 3) Henry Carr and The Importance of Being Earnest?

Essay Topic 2

The women of Travesties serve an interesting purpose in the play. They almost serve as counter-balances to the men that court them, elucidating the underpinnings of their beliefs and the truth of their assertions. Write an essay about the women in the play in three parts:

Part 1) Examine the courtship between Gwen and Tzara. How does she challenge him to defend his Dada poetry in a way no one else does? How does he prove the worth of his art in this sequence?

Part 2) Nadya narrates much of the second act of the play. What new information regarding Lenin's attitude toward art does she provide? How does this create a more vibrant portrait of the revolutionary politician?

Part 3) Throughout the play, Henry Carr's assertions seem more than a little suspect. What new information does Old Cecily provide at the end of the play? Does she seem a more reliable narrator than Carr?

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay about the character of James Joyce. He is one of the most enigmatic characters in the play, but he has one of the deepest verifiable relationships with Henry Carr. The first half of the essay should concern his art. How does Ulysses fulfill a primal need that he has for literature? What special significance does he assign to the character of Odysseus? The second half should concern his attitude toward money. To what extent does indebtedness and miserliness plague his association with Carr? Is it possible that these attributes may be a creation of Carr the storyteller?

(see the answer keys)

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