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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Why did Martha, after being punished for the ribbon, come back inside?
(a) She was naked and it was cold.
(b) She was lonely.
(c) She was too clothed for the heat.
(d) She was being chased by boys.

2. What is Melchior's relationship to Moritz?
(a) They are best friends.
(b) They are lovers.
(c) They are brothers.
(d) They are enemies.

3. How must Martha always wear her hair?
(a) Braids.
(b) Loose.
(c) Short.
(d) In a bun.

4. When was the play produced in America?
(a) 1917.
(b) 1907.
(c) 1897.
(d) 1927.

5. What does Wendla ask of Melchior at the end of Act 1?
(a) She asks him to beat her.
(b) She asks him to run away to Berlin with her.
(c) She asks him if he would want to marry her one day.
(d) She asks him to make love to her.

6. What do the boys in Act 1, Scene 2 complain about?
(a) Girls.
(b) Parents.
(c) Church.
(d) Homework.

7. How does Moritz react when being told about sex?
(a) He does not want to listen.
(b) He becomes aroused.
(c) He wants to know more.
(d) He tries to argue with the points being made.

8. In what decade did Wedekind write A Children's Tragedy?
(a) 1870s.
(b) 1880s.
(c) 1890s.
(d) 1900s.

9. What do Melchior and Moritz talk about when they are alone in Act 1, Scene 2?
(a) Homework.
(b) Sex.
(c) Parents.
(d) God.

10. What are Melchior, Moritz, and the boys doing outside in Act 1, Scene 2?
(a) Playing.
(b) Studying.
(c) Digging holes.
(d) Singing.

11. What excuse does Moritz give in order to escape the discussion about sex?
(a) He needs to find his girlfriend.
(b) He needs to talk to his father.
(c) He needs to go pray.
(d) He has too much homework.

12. What is one of the first things presented in the introduction?
(a) A timeline of Wedekind's life with emphasis on events that inspired A Children's Tragedy.
(b) A graph showing the correlation between sexual activity and suicide.
(c) A pie chart depicting the average number of sexually active teenagers.
(d) A timeline of the play's publication and productions.

13. How do Martha's parents treat her?
(a) They abuse her.
(b) They coddle her.
(c) They spoil her.
(d) They treat her better than the other parents treat their children.

14. Why is Mrs. Bergmann concerned about Wendla's dress?
(a) It is too adult for her.
(b) It is too shapeless on her.
(c) It is too short for her.
(d) It is too long on her.

15. What is considered the most sexual scene in A Children's Tragedy?
(a) Ilsa's attraction to Moritz.
(b) The masturbation scene in the reformatory.
(c) Wendla's rape.
(d) Melchior explaining sex to Moritz.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who keeps Melchior from committing suicide?

2. What happened to Martha when her parents saw her with a ribbon on her nightgown?

3. How was the rape scene censored in reissues of A Children's Tragedy?

4. What does Mrs. Bergmann wonder about Wendla in the first scene?

5. What form does the play evolve into?

(see the answer keys)

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