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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. When Eddie tells Ani that all is not right with his girlfriend, what object does he use as a metaphor?

2. What object does Ani describe as being attached to her imagination?

3. Into what room has John gone when Jess leaves his apartment?

4. When protesting against Eddie's pleas for a job, Ani says that she would rather "find someone" (73) that she can what?

5. What is Eddie's answer when Ani asks him "Why?" in relation to his pursuit of a job?

Short Essay Questions

1. In what way does the element of water in the play evoke qualities of intimacy and trust?

2. Scene Five ends with Jess believing that she is coming back to John's later for what purpose?

3. What act does the audience watch at the start of Scene Five?

4. In what way does John handle the misunderstanding between him and Jess?

5. What object does John accuse Jess of stealing from his apartment and what is the significance of the object?

6. What is said about Eddie's girlfriend's feelings about Eddie possibly working for Ani?

7. What impetus leads to Ani's revelation to Eddie that she has been feeling a certain way for the last month?

8. What does staying informed about weather symbolize for Ani?

9. Discuss an example of irony present within Scene Four.

10. What evidence exists that points toward Ani's intoxication leading to her car accident?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Examine the effects of stress on the play's characters and the coping methods each character uses to deal with emotional turmoil. Which characters' methods are effective, which are ineffective, and how do these varying levels of efficiency affect the messages sent by the play?

Essay Topic 2

At the end of the play, the last set of stage directions reads that after Eddie invites Jess in again, “She takes off her hat. And takes one step inside. Toward Eddie. He takes one step toward her. Two people stand together in a fading light” (152). How does this final set of stage directions connect to the themes inherent to the play?

Essay Topic 3

All of the characters in this play have specific yet varied relationships with money. Examine the theme of money in the play Cost of Living and discuss how it affects the four main characters within the play.

(see the answer keys)

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