View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Whose cell phone rings during grace at the dinner table in Act 2?

2. After whom was Jean named, according to Barbara in Act 3, Scene 4?

3. In the three-way-split conversation that occurs in Act 2, who is Mattie Fae speaking with?

4. Who comforts Violet at the end of Act 3, Scene 5?

5. How long does Bill tell Barbara she has "left to fight and make up" with Jean in Act 3, Scene 2?

Short Essay Questions

1. How has Barbara's character evolved in Act 3, Scene 2?

2. What is ironic about Karen's discussion of the past in Act 2?

3. What is significant about Barbara's comment "I'm still here" in Act 3?

4. Where in Act 3, Scene 5 does the climax of the plot occur?

5. What takes place when Johnna enters the kitchen in Act 3, Scene 2?

6. How are Violet and Little Charles juxtaposed against one another in Act 2?

7. What is the significance of Ivy and Little Charles's placement in the dining room in Act 2?

8. What is the significance of the house's temperature in Act 2?

9. How would you describe the character of Steve when he is introduced in Act 2?

10. How does irony come into play in the final moments of Act 3, Scene 5?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the author's use of literary allusion throughout August: Osage County. What poets and authors are discussed and/or quoted in the story? How do these authors and their works relate thematically to August: Osage County? What is the significance of Beverly's book of poetry?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the theme of addiction in August: Osage County. What characters display tendencies toward addiction? What has led to these tendencies? How is the struggle of addiction dealt with in the narrative?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the conflicts that arise in Act 2 of the play. What physical conflicts take place? What leads up to these conflicts? Are the conflicts in Act 2 resolved? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 763 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample