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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. Eugene claims that his grandfather died from what in Act I?

2. What actor played the role of Eugene in the original cast of Brighton Beach Memoirs?

3. What term refers to the method by which the narrator of Brighton Beach Memoirs speaks to the audience?

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

5. Laurie tells her mom in Act I that her teacher says glasses should be changed every how often?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What concerns Jack Jerome during dinner in Act I? What does the family discuss?

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

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

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

6. What comprises the second floor of the Jerome house, according to the stage directions in Act I? How is the setting related to the themes in the play?

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

8. What information is given to the reader/audience from Eugene in the beginning of Act I?

9. How would you describe Eugene’s relationship with his family in Act I?

10. How is the character of Kate Jerome described in Brighton Beach Memoirs?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe and discuss playwright Neil Simon and the original production of Brighton Beach Memoirs. When was the play first produced and where? When did it move to Broadway? How long did it run before closing? How does this play compare with Simon’s other works?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the character of Blanche Morton in the play. Why do you think the playwright chose the name Blanche? What other dramatic character does this name evoke? How would you describe Blanche’s actions, objectives, and obstacles in the story?

Essay Topic 3

Social and Racial Bias in Brighton Beach Memoirs

a. Discuss the time period in which the play is set and the concepts of racial, social, economic, and religious prejudice in the United States and abroad at this time. How does the playwright touch on the subject of prejudice in the story?

b. In what ways do the Jerome family members show racial or social prejudice in the play?

(see the answer keys)

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