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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. To what store does Jack tell Eugene to go for ice cream in Act II?

2. What does Kate tell Stanley to tell his father about the missing money in Act II?

3. What physical ailment has Jack suffered prior to the opening of Act II?

4. Eugene says he guesses his mom is upset because she and Jack can’t go to the affair where in Act II?

5. How old does Blanche say her husband was when he died in Act II?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. How is Blanche’s appearance described when she enters in Act II? What causes tension in this scene regarding Stanley’s income?

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

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

5. What has Neil Simon noted in terms of his relationship to Brighton Beach Memoirs and its autobiographical elements?

6. What do Blanche and Nora discuss when Nora arrives home in Act II?

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

8. What causes the initial conflict between Kate and Blanche in Act II?

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 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

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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