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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. Why does Sister Ella Chapter come to Hannah's house in Act 2, Chapter 10?

2. What instrument plays the dance tune to which Prior and Louis dance in Act 3, Scene 6?

3. Which horror movie does Harper fear takes place in Brooklyn?

4. Who did Joe Pitt vote for in the last presidential election?

5. What does Roy offer to do for Joe to help his decision regarding Washington in Act 2, Scene 4?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Alexii Antedilluvianovich Prelapsarianov compare the Theory of the Bolshevik Revolution with the Theory of the present?

2. How does Belize secure some of Roy's AZT in Act 3, Scene 2?

3. What does Prior tell the Continental Principalities regarding human progress in Act 5, Scene 5?

4. What are Joe and Harper's secrets in Act 1, Scene 8?

5. What call does Hannah receive as soon as she arrives at Joe's apartment?

6. How does Roy react to Joe's admission that he is staying with a man in Act 4, Scene 1?

7. Why does Harper not want to stay in heaven in Act 5, Scene 2?

8. What message does Sarah Ironson give Prior Walter Act 5, Scene 6?

9. To what understanding concerning beliefs do Hannah and Prior come in Act 4, Scene 6?

10. Describe the first meeting between Louis and Joe.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Some critics characterize Angels in America as a magical realist work. In magical realism, the realistic and the paranormal exist at the same time in the narrative. More importantly, though, in a magical realist work the characters accept these paranormal elements without question. Write an essay detailing whether you think Angels in America is a magical realist work. Use specific examples from the text and interpretation of these examples to defend your position.

Essay Topic 2

A central theme of Angels in America is migration. Write an essay on one of the following prompts regarding this theme:

1.) The play opens with a eulogy for Sarah Ironson delivered by Rabbi Chemelwitz. The subject of the eulogy is the migration immigrants like Sarah took, carrying their culture with them. Compare in an essay the sentiments Chemelwitz espouses with the sentiments Louis later states in his first scene with Belize. What do they say about immigrant populations? About the spiritual past of America?

2.) When the Angel finally appears to Prior at the end of Millennium Approaches, she carries with her a message from Heaven. Write an essay about this message and its relation to the theme of migration. How does Prior's decision to renounce his calling reflect Kushner's thoughts on migration?

3.) By the end of the play, two characters have found deep fulfillment by traveling far from their long-time home: Hannah and Harper. Write an essay comparing these two women's journeys. What drives them from home? What do they hope to find on the other side?

Essay Topic 3

Angels in America is a celebration of the essential commonality of all people. Write en essay on this theme, focusing on the beleaguered relationships that mature throughout the play. What do Hannah and Prior, Belize and Roy, and others discover about themselves and their supposed foils? Conclude the essay with a statement regarding Kushner's opinion of humanity.

(see the answer keys)

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