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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 Yepikhodov carry with him when he enters in Act I?

2. Where has Peter Kosoy gone to live, according to Gayev in Act I?

3. What does Lyubov request her servants get for her after her return in Act I?

4. What does Gayev repeatedly put into his mouth?

5. What does Gayev say his sister married rather than a noble in Act I?

Short Essay Questions

1. What events led to Lyubov leaving the estate? When did she leave?

2. How is Lopakhin's character different than that of Firs? How are they alike?

3. Describe Anya's character. How old is she? What color does she wear? How does she feel about her mother and sister?

4. Who is Charlotta? What is her position in the household? How is she described physically?

5. Describe Yasha's character. What is his/her age? What is his/her demeanor? How does he/she relate to other characters in the play?

6. Describe Gaev's character. Who is he/she related to in the play? How? What does this character do persistently that annoys the others?

7. Describe Firs' character. What is his position at the estate? Is he related to other characters in the play? How?

8. How is Varya's character unique in the play? What role does she fulfill in the household? What is her style of dress?

9. What happened to Lyubov's son? How does she feel about it?

10. Which character had a lover in Paris? What became of this situation?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard is more complicated than many plays of his time. Unlike the "Well-Made Play," The Cherry Orchard has a more obscure plot and protagonist and antagonist. Who do you feel is the protagonist in The Cherry Orchard? Who is the antagonist? Why do you feel this way?

Essay Topic 2

The characters of Lyubov and Lopakhin are central to the action in The Cherry Orchard. Compare and contrast the characteristics of Lyubov and Lopakhin. How do their backgrounds affect who they are today? What do we know about them based on their appearances and their actions? How do their actions or in-actions affect the outcome of the play?

Essay Topic 3

Chekhov was known as one of Europe's most "ecological playwrights." The use of trees and their demise was common in his works. How does this play out in The Cherry Orchard? What events during this time in history would have affected the ecological system in Russia? How does Chekhov use trees in The Cherry Orchard to make his political and ecological viewpoints known?

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