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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 was Blanche’s husband’s name?

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

3. Eugene tells the audience in Act I that he’s committed a mortal sin by doing what?

4. What batter “lopes up to the plate” after the first walks in Eugene’s imaginary baseball game in the opening of Act I?

5. What is Blanche Morton doing when the curtain rises for Act I?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. Why does Eugene’s mother call him inside in the beginning of Act I? What does Eugene relate about his ambitions in this scene?

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

4. How is the setting of Brighton Beach Memoirs described in the opening stage directions for Act I? What year is the play set in?

5. What is the central conflict for Nora Morton in Act I of the play?

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

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

8. What conversation do Jack and Stanley have at bedtime in Act I?

9. What decision does Stanley reach regarding his job in Act I? How does Eugene help him?

10. How is the theme of responsibility illustrated in Act I of Brighton Beach Memoirs?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Examine the Jerome/Morton household as a metaphor for the global events of the late 1930s. How do the actions, events, and objectives in the story relate to the bigger events faced by the nation? What elements of symbolism apply to this metaphor?

Essay Topic 2

Plot Structure

a. Discuss the plot structure of Brighton Beach Memoirs. In what ways is the narrative related and what effect does this have on the reader or audience member?

b. How does Brighton Beach Memoirs compare with other Broadway plays written during this time period? Are there specific stylistic elements that can be seen in Neil Simon’s writing?

Essay Topic 3

Describe and discuss the financial atmosphere of the Jerome household as depicted in Act I. How many jobs do each of the family members work? How easily are their expenses met? Why are finances a central point of concern in the family?

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