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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 did Hennesey get assigned to the duty he's on?

2. Where is Donald Carney from?

3. What does Eugene ask Epstein?

4. Who takes the bunk Eugene wants?

5. Does the prostitute want Eugene to come out?

Short Essay Questions

1. What keeps Eugene from defending Arnold Epstein?

2. What does Eugene do at the end of the scene?

3. What does Toomey do to punish Eugene during the march?

4. Describe Rowena's personality.

5. Which soldiers does Toomey not let leave the table, and why?

6. What does Toomey want from the soldiers?

7. How do the other soldiers react when Toomey obeys his punishment?

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

9. Why does Carney decide not to visit the prostitute?

10. What is Daisy doing at the beginning of Act 2, Scene 6?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

One of Eugene's primary goals is to become a writer. Discuss this goal.

1) What qualities does a writer have? Does Eugene possess these qualities? How does Eugene's writing change over the course of the play?

2) Why does Eugene want to be a writer? Why is this an important goal?

3) What does it mean to be a writer? What does being a writer demand from Eugene?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the role of fantasy in the novel.

1) What are the different soldiers' fantasies, and what do those fantasies say about their characters? Can their fantasies be separated into different categories?

2) What is Toomey's fantasy, and why? Is Toomey's fantasy different from the soldiers' fantasies, and what does it say about Toomey as a character?

3) What role does having fantasies play in the characters' lives? Why do the characters want to discuss and bet on their fantasies?

Essay Topic 3

Two of the main characters in the play are Jewish, and throughout the play, there are instances of anti-Semitism. Discuss anti-Semitism in the play.

1) Why does Eugene not stand up for Epstein when he is the victim of antisemitic comments? Why is Epstein more often a victim than Eugene?

2) Why does Toomey say that he won't tolerate anti-Semitic comments among his men? Is Toomey antisemitic or not?

3) What is the significance of the incident when two soldiers beat up Epstein in the restroom? Why does it happen, and what does it mean to Epstein? How does hearing about it affect Eugene?

(see the answer keys)

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