View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What dance do Bernie O'Donnell and Maggie compete in?

2. What animals does Maggie feed?

3. Where is Bernie O'Donnell's husband from?

4. What does Danny Bradley call Rose?

5. Why does Maggie worry when Michael can't be seen?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Maggie recollect about Bernie?

2. After Agnes blows Michael a kiss, she says it was the wrong thing to do. Why would it be the wrong thing to do?

3. How has Uncle Jack brought status to the Mundy family?

4. How has Chris brought shame upon the Mundy family?

5. What does Maggie notice about the pack of cigarettes Kate brought her, and why is it significant?

6. How does Kate feel about Michael, and how can you tell?

7. For what is the fox in the hen house a metaphor?

8. From what does Kate struggle to protect her home when they joke about naming the radio?

9. What does Maggie mean when she tells Michael that someday he's going to fill some woman's life with happiness?

10. What do you think Michael means when he talks of a widening breach between what seemed to be and what was?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare and contrast the Ryangan idea of marriage with what Kate calls the "holy sacrament of matrimony." Judging from the main characters and their romantic relationships, make a statement comparing the costs and benefits of both kinds of marriage. Cite quotations from the play to support your thesis.

Essay Topic 2

What irony do you see in the fact that Kate eventually finds work as a tutor for Austin Morgan's young family? Explain whether this is an example of situational or dramatic irony and why you think so (or do not think so).

Essay Topic 3

The fox is an important metaphor in this play. If the family of women is the hen house, who is the fox? How many of the women have had unsuccessful relationships with men? List and explain each and develop your own thesis for why each situation ended unhappily.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 783 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample