View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Of whom does Jack say in Act II, “That child is pampered too much”?
(a) Eugene Jerome
(b) Nora Morton
(c) Stanley Jerome
(d) Laurie Morton

2. Where is Blanche going to dinner for her date in Act II?
(a) The Four Seasons
(b) Chardov’s Restaurant
(c) Jean George’s Restaurant
(d) Anderson’s Restaurant

3. How much money does Eugene say is his “life’s savings” stored in his cigar box in Act II?
(a) $5
(b) $21.50
(c) $1.12
(d) $4.32

4. Why does Blanche claim she had trouble putting on her makeup for her date in Act II?
(a) She can’t see without her glasses
(b) Her eyelids were twitching
(c) Her skin was sunburned
(d) Her hands were shaking badly

5. What physical ailment has Jack suffered prior to the opening of Act II?
(a) A heart attack
(b) An epileptic seizure
(c) A brain aneurysm
(d) A bout of pneumonia

Short Answer Questions

1. How much money does Jack say he just paid the doctor in Act II?

2. To what store does Jack tell Eugene to go for ice cream in Act II?

3. Eugene says of his mother in Act II, “She’s angry at the whole world. That’s why she’s making” what for dinner?

4. Who is Blanche preparing to go on a date with in the opening of Act II?

5. What book is Laurie reading when Eugene comes to her room to talk in Act II?

Short Essay Questions

1. What autobiographical elements can be seen in Brighton Beach Memoirs?

2. How did critics respond to the original production of Brighton Beach Memoirs? How does the play fit in with Neil Simon’s body of works?

3. How would you describe the character of Jack Jerome in Brighton Beach Memoirs?

4. Who has sent the letter with Laurie in Act II? What news does the letter relate?

5. What news does Stanley relate to Eugene in their room in the beginning of Act II?

6. How does the Jewish heritage of the Jerome/Morton family play into the metaphorical interpretation of the play?

7. What other plays are connected in the trilogy that includes Brighton Beach Memoirs?

8. What criticisms did Neil Simon receive for the original production of Brighton Beach Memoirs?

9. What have been perceived as the weaknesses of the narrator in Brighton Beach Memoirs?

10. Why do Jack and Kate Jerome argue in the beginning of Act II?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 847 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample