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

2. What actress played the role of Nora in the original cast of Brighton Beach Memoirs?

3. What kind of sneakers is Eugene described as wearing when his character is introduced in Act I?

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

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

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. How does Eugene describe his cousin Laurie Morton in Act I?

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

5. What do Kate and Blanche discuss alone downstairs after dinner in Act I?

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

7. How are Stanley’s actions revealed as honorable in Act I of the play?

8. What is Jack Jerome carrying when he arrives home at dinnertime in Act I? Why?

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe and analyze the setting of the play. Examine the year in which the play is set, the location in New York of the Jerome household, and the political, international, and economic atmosphere of this setting. When did the Great Depression begin? What brought about the end of the Great Depression?

Essay Topic 2

Examine the theme of honesty versus dishonesty in the narrative. Why do you think Kate encourages Stanley to lie about having lost the money in a poker game? Would this suggestion be brought about under different circumstances? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

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?

(see the answer keys)

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