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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. What is Lena referring to when she says, "Take your sack, knock on some back doors and it's full in no time"?

2. What is Boesman dragging along the ground in Act 1?

3. What does Lena say that Boesman gets when other people laugh at him beating her?

4. What is a pondok?

5. What does Lena bribe Boesman with to let Outa stay?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Lena want Outa to stay?

2. Describe Lena's appearance. What does she wear? How old is she?

3. Why have Boesman and Lena left their home?

4. What is Lena's reaction to Boesman's leaving?

5. What is Boesman's primary complaint against Lena? Why?

6. How does Boesman realize that Outa is dead?

7. What did Boesman do to Lena earlier in the day?

8. Why did Boesman beat Lena this morning? Why did he stop?

9. What does Lena ask to drink from Boesman? What word is this in Afrikaan? In English?

10. Describe the character of Outa. Where do Lena and Boesman see him?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What other playwrights influenced Athol Fugard in the writing of Boesman and Lena? What genre of theater was this style?

Essay Topic 2

Describe the word "freedom" and what it means in the context of Boesman and Lena. What term discussed in class would this word fall under?

Essay Topic 3

What are some motifs and symbols in Boesman and Lena? How does the author use these motifs to express the themes?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 600 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample