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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. Which person had been on the team but no one has heard from for 20 years?

2. Who threatens to kill Phil?

3. George asks Tom if Tom has a ______________ problem.

4. What anniversary of a state basketball championship are the men gathered to commemorate?

5. Which of the men has doubts that George will win the election?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Coach try to encourage the men to stay together in spite of personal issues and problems?

2. How do the men show that their relationships with others are based primarily in obligation, not love?

3. What is Tom able to verbalize to the Coach that the others cannot?

4. What metaphor does Coach use for the men of the winning championship team?

5. How does it begin to become clear that Coach is not the stalwart figure he thinks he is?

6. How does the author show that Coach has lost patience with George?

7. What is George's position on accepting help from Phil after learning about the affair and what advice does Coach give George on the subject?

8. How does Coach rally the men when he senses that their bickering and differences could escalate out of control?

9. What secret does Tom reveal that he had learned from Martin regarding the championship game?

10. What is the nature of Coach's illness as discussed by George and Tom?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Regret seems to be almost an unnamed character in the book. How pervasive is the sense of regret? Why does it have such a prevalent place in the characters' lives? Explain how an inanimate object or characteristic can be a character.

Essay Topic 2

The author uses some important instances of flashbacks in the story. Explain what a flashback is and cite at least two making sure to explain what makes each a flashback.

Essay Topic 3

Explain Miller's use of humor in the play, especially with Tom's character. Cite examples of at least two different instances of humor and explain why the author used them where he did.

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This section contains 1,024 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample