View a FREE sample

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 company that Robbie was with, making it harder for them to come to his funeral?

2. Who is Anna's other roommate who bursts in the door, trying to find out why she hasn't picked up the phone?

3. The ___________ who eulogized Robbie had not seen Robbie in six years, making it an awkward speech.

4. What does Pale ask Anna for after going into yet another long rant about the city and people who live in it?

5. Burton's work discusses how the wives experience waiting on the ___________ walks.

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Larry admit Anna has been working on when Burton asks Larry about her relationship with Pale?

2. What does Burton reveal about the play that he is writing, though he does not seem to think it is viable?

3. What is Anna's opinion of Burton's script after she reads it and what is his reaction?

4. What were the main focuses of Robbie, according to Anna when she is talking with Larry?

5. What does Larry reveal he has been doing that evening while Anna and Burton were at their social engagement?

6. What does Pale have to say when Larry asks him if he and his wife have gotten a divorce?

7. How does Larry enter the scene on this New Year's Day/New Year's Eve in the second act?

8. What does Burton have to say when Anna makes a comment about getting too personal?

9. What does Anna have to say about her work when Burton asks her some questions about her life?

10. Why is Anna so upset when she is sitting on the couch by herself after Robbie's wake?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Pale is an interesting character in the play, one that shakes up the world of not only Anna, but of Larry and Burton as well.

Part 1: Why do you think Pale was a character who was necessary in this play? What purpose does he serve?

Part 2: Why do you think Anna is drawn to Pale and to his odd mannerisms and personality?

Part 3: Do you think Pale is a character who can be trusted by Anna? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

Anna points out that she is angry for not being able to have a proper goodbye with Robbie as she is talking to Larry.

Part 1: Why do you think Anna is angry about not getting a proper goodbye from Robbie?

Part 2: What do you think the importance of that final goodbye is for Anna?

Part 3: How do you think Anna could have had a proper goodbye with Robbie while at the wake?

Essay Topic 3

The reference to "The Flying Dutchman" is a curious one, as it seems to reference a feeling of love and loss - as everyone is feeling now.

Part 1: Why do you think Larry decided to tell Burton the story of the Flying Dutchman?

Part 2: How do you think the story of the Flying Dutchman relates to the characters in the story?

Part 3: How do myths like these affect the way we see our own lives?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 753 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample