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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. On what day of the week does Act II open?

2. Blanche asks Kate in Act II if she remembers how their mother cried when who left home?

3. Kate tells Blanche she’ll find out for her how much whose house rents for in Act II?

4. Where is Blanche going to dinner for her date in Act II?

5. Who brought Jack home after he suffered from a physical ailment, according to Eugene in Act II?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. How does the conflict escalate between Kate and Blanche in Act II?

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

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

5. How did critics respond to the original production of Brighton Beach Memoirs? How does the play fit in with Neil Simon’s body of works?

6. Why does Stanley decide to leave home in Act II? What does he ask Eugene for before he goes?

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

8. What news does Jack Jerome receive via a letter in the mail in Act II?

9. When does Stanley return home in Act II? Why does he decide to return?

10. What causes the initial conflict between Kate and Blanche in 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

Examine and discuss the actions, objectives, and obstacles of Nora Morton in Act I of Brighton Beach Memoirs. Why does Nora want to be in a Broadway musical? What prevents her from doing so?

Essay Topic 3

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?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 812 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample