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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. Where is the medal from that Stanley earned for the hundred-yard dash two years ago?

2. What does Kate tell Laurie she’s made for dinner tonight in the beginning of Act II?

3. Who is the movie star that Kate says Blanche looks like when Blanche descends for her date in Act II?

4. How much money does Stanley give to his father that he earned setting pins at the bowling alley the night before at the end of Act II?

5. What book is Laurie reading when Eugene comes to her room to talk in Act II?

Short Essay Questions

1. What criticisms did Neil Simon receive for the original production of Brighton Beach Memoirs?

2. How does the relationship between Blanche and Kate evolve through the narrative?

3. How does the Jewish heritage of the Jerome/Morton family play into the metaphorical interpretation of the play?

4. How does Eugene respond to Stanley’s departure in Act II? Who does he go to talk to about the situation?

5. What have been perceived as the weaknesses of the narrator in Brighton Beach Memoirs?

6. How much time passes between the end of Act I and the opening of Act II? How has the household changed?

7. Why do Jack and Kate Jerome argue in the beginning of Act II?

8. How does the conflict between Kate and Blanche become resolved in Act II?

9. What autobiographical elements can be seen in Brighton Beach Memoirs?

10. What news does Stanley relate to Eugene in their room in the beginning of Act II?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

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?

Essay Topic 3

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?

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