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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 school classes does Nora say aren’t “going to help me on the stage” in Act I?

2. What is the name of the Broadway musical Nora says she’s going to be cast in, in Act I?

3. Eugene says in Act I that one day he’s going to be a writer like whom?

4. What wars is Laurie reading about in the opening of Act I?

5. How many years has Nora been in dancing school in Act I?

Short Essay Questions

1. What do Jack Jerome and Nora Morton discuss while walking on the beach in Act I?

2. How does the historical context of the play relate to its themes?

3. How does Eugene’s character relate to the theme of responsibility in Act I?

4. What dream does Eugene describe to Stanley in Act I? What is Stanley’s response?

5. What news does Stanley relate to Eugene in their room before dinner in Act I?

6. How is the Jerome house described in the stage directions for Act I? What comprises the first floor of the house?

7. What is Eugene doing as the play opens in Act I? How is his neighborhood described?

8. Discuss the narrative style of Brighton Beach Memoirs. What purpose does the use of direct address serve in the play?

9. How does Blanche Morton respond to the news that Nora Morton relates to the family before dinner in Act I?

10. What are Eugene’s principle concerns in Act I? How does his character evolve in the narrative?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze and discuss the character of Kate Jerome in the play. How old is Kate? How long has she been married to Jack? What characteristics stand out the most through Kate’s interactions with the family?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the theme of family in Brighton Beach Memoirs. How important is family to the characters in the story? What symbolism supports this theme? How does this theme evolve in the story?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the theme of coming of age in Brighton Beach Memoirs. Where is Eugene in the process of growing up in Act I? How do you foresee his character evolving in the play? How has Eugene become an adult in some ways by the end of the story?

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