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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. Who was the scriptwriter for The Lily's plays?

2. Who was George Bernard Shaw's favorite actress, according to Vivian in Chapter Nine?

3. What is the show playing at The Lily Theater when Vivian first arrives there in 1940?

4. What does the term "safety" refer to?

5. What cocktail does Peg seem to favor the most when she drinks at home?

Short Essay Questions

1. In Chapter Seven, why does Celia tell Vivian to go get her cigarettes and not come back to the hotel room?

2. In Chapter One, what connection does Vivian make for the first time between Grandmother Morris's death and her experience at Vassar?

3. How did Peg, Edna, and Olive first meet?

4. In Chapter One, why do Vivian's parents send her to live with her Aunt Peg in the summer of 1940?

5. How did Grandmother Morris treat Vivian as she taught her how to sew?

6. In Chapter Nine, how does Vivian feel when she meets Edna Parker Watson?

7. In Chapter Eight, how did Vivian feel about the impending war in 1940?

8. What kinds of shows does The Lily Playhouse put on, and what kinds of people make up The Lily's audience?

9. How does Vivian use her sewing and design skills to help out at The Lily?

10. In Chapter Three, what does Vivian refer to as her "perfect" New York?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay analyzing how Gilbert explores and treats the themes of judgement and societal pressures through Vivian's, Marjorie's, and Frank's characters, feelings, and life experiences.

Essay Topic 2

How do Frank Grecco and Vivian Morris both suffer from the shame they feel when, at different times in their lives, they have failed to live up to society's expectations about how an ideal man and woman should behave? How does Vivian's earlier disgrace help her console Frank with his shame when he is a much older man? Write an essay explaining your answer, citing specific references to the text to support your analysis.

Essay Topic 3

When, and how, does Vivian really become aware of the true scale of suffering and tragedy that WWII created? Write an essay explaining your answer, citing specific references to the text to support your analysis.

(see the answer keys)

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