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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. Who is the Broadway producer that Nora says came to her dance class in Act I?

2. Nora tells her mother in Act I that in taking this Broadway role she could be making almost how much money per week?

3. What does Kate say she’s never done before in her life and “why should I start with my own family” in Act I?

4. On what day does Nora say she’s going to audition for the Broadway musical in Act I?

5. Eugene says he believes his father is developing what condition as a result of Blanche’s situation in Act I?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

4. What is Eugene Jerome’s role in the play? How does his character stand out in Brighton Beach Memoirs?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe and discuss the narrative style of Brighton Beach Memoirs and Eugene’s role as narrator in the play. What is the “fourth wall” of the theater and how does Eugene’s narration break the fourth wall? What is this style of speaking to the audience called?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the internal conflicts presented in Act I within the characters of Eugene, Stanley, Kate, Blanche, Nora, and Laurie. How do these conflicts differ from external conflicts? How do these conflicts drive the plot of the story forward?

Essay Topic 3

Analyze Blanche’s options for independence in the play. Why did Blanche and her children move in with the Jeromes after Dave’s death? What types of jobs are available to Blanche in this economy? What does Blanche hope will come of her date with Frank Murphy?

(see the answer keys)

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