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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. Whose greeting of Toomey is less friendly than the other soldiers?

2. Where is Act 1, Scene 3 set?

3. Where is Donald Carney from?

4. What is the prostitute doing at the beginning of Act 2, Scene 2?

5. Where is Arnold Epstein sleeping at the beginning of Act 1?

Short Essay Questions

1. Where has Eugene traveled in the past?

2. What does Rowena say about her home life?

3. What does it show about Carney's character that he talks to Eugene about what Eugene wrote?

4. Describe Rowena's personality.

5. What state is Toomey in during Act 2, Scene 7?

6. What does Epstein offer to do for the other soldiers?

7. What does Epstein threaten that he will do to Wykowski on the troopship?

8. What does Eugene say when Wykowski asks if he means what he wrote?

9. Describe Eugene's relationship with the other boys.

10. Describe how Toomey wakes up the soldiers.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss sex and love in the play.

1) What distinctions does Eugene make between sex and love? Why does he find his first sexual experience dissatisfying, and why does he begin to look for love after it?

2) Does Eugene have a realistic view of sex? Does he have a realistic view of love? How do his views change over the course of the play?

3) How do the soldiers view sex? How do their views differ? How do their views of sex influence their views of women and love?

Essay Topic 2

BILOXI BLUES is a story of soldiers in boot camp, and so it is a primarily male story. However, there are two significant female characters, and women play an important role in the soldiers' lives. Discuss the play's portrayal of women.

1) Compare Rowena to Daisy. What aspects of womanhood do they represent?

2) Why does Eugene fall for Daisy? What characteristics does he admire in her?

3) Are the portrayals of women in the play realistic? Are the women well-developed characters? How do the soldiers view women?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss humor in the play.

1) How do the characters use humor in their interactions? How do they use humor as insults? How does humor form part of their friendship?

2) In what ways does the author use humor in the play? How does the author combine serious issues such as prejudice and war with humor?

(see the answer keys)

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