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This test consists of 5 short answer questions and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What illness did Joe Keller have the day the faulty cylinder heads went out?

2. On how much money does Joe claim that he could live if he didn't have a family?

3. When did Larry write the letter Ann shows the family?

4. What happens to big men who make mistakes, according to Joe?

5. Who does Chris say he would have gone to see if he had known of his father's culpability in the scandal?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Choose one of the following topics to write an essay:

1.) Do you consider Joe Keller to be a selfish man? Did he actually feel pressure from his wife to make money, or was this just an imagined pressure? Does his lifestyle reflect a corrupt values system?

2.) Jim Bayliss discusses a year that he abruptly left his family to do medical research in New Orleans. What this a selfish choice or an altruistic one? Was Sue Bayliss' demand that he return selfish?

3.) Compare and contrast the world views of Sue Bayliss, Kate Keller, and Ann Deever. Are any of them unreasonably focused on money?

Essay Topic 2

Ann Deever is a surrogate in many respects for the audience in the play. She is familiar with the Keller family but not with the web of delusion and lies that has held their household together since the factory scandal and Larry's death. Write an essay about Ann's relationship with several characters and how it reflects the audience's reaction to the Keller family.

Part 1) Ann is in love with Chris Keller for his idealism and yearning for a life that stands for more than making money. She fears that his presence in a house with his parents is driving him to despair. How does her love for Chris reflect our attitude towards him? How does their relationship reflect our relationship to Miller's message?

Part 2) From her arrival at the house, Ann is in conflict with Kate Keller about Larry. How does this conflict amplify the truly destructive delusion that tears the Kellers apart daily?

Part 3) Examine Ann's ambivalent relationship with Joe. How does her affection that changes to pitied revulsion change our attitude toward Joe as a character?

Essay Topic 3

Compare and contrast the characters of Steve Deever and Joe Keller. The two are often compared and analyzed by Joe and others. Which is the more dominant in the relationship and how does each's attitude toward the other affect the plot?

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