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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. What does Anna point out to Burton as he is talking about his new work, though he is not convinced of his direction?

2. Pale points out that ________ was the one family member that Robbie actually liked.

3. What is the look that Anna ascribes to the men in Robbie's family, though they all sort of look like him, too?

4. Burton tells Larry that seeing ______________ in his account helps to soften the blow of Hollywood's actions.

5. Out of Robbie's entire family, no one has seen Robbie _________________ - his true passion.

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens to Anna when she is sleeping in the bedroom of the one of the nephews in Robbie's family?

2. What holiday is it when the second act of the play begins at 2:00AM?

3. Why did Burton take a job at eighteen as a messenger delivering to various homes?

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

5. Why is Anna feeling stiff and out of sorts when she is in this scene after Burton leaves?

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

7. What is on the message that Burton leaves for Anna on the answering machine before she picks it up?

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

9. When Burton describes Hollywood as a bunch of whores, what is Larry's response to this assessment?

10. What does Pale want to drink the next morning when Larry offers him a tea?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Pale seems to be a person who can not stay on one topic for a very long time as he first talks to Anna.

Part 1: Why do you think Anna continues to talk to Pale, even though he is scattered?

Part 2: Why do you think Pale continues to change the subject while talking with Anna?

Part 3: Do you think that Pale and Anna are a realistic couple? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

Anna and Pale seem to have a sexual relationship in this story, even though they don't seem to have much in common or even want to date each other.

Part 1: Why do you think Anna and Pale cling to each other in this story?

Part 2: Do you think it's realistic for Pale to be attracted to Anna? Why or why not?

Part 3: Do you think it's realistic for Anna to be attracted to Pale? Why or why not?

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)

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