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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 did Fassbinder dance with all night at the ball?

2. Where do Romeo and Trini meet in Scene 6?

3. What is the cafe of Scene 9 made up to look like?

4. How does Perlita help Joey in Scene 10?

5. What Lolita Luna movie is playing in Scene 6?

Short Essay Questions

1. What state is Joey in when he enters in Scene 10?

2. Why does Chiquiting become annoyed in Scene 14?

3. Why does Rio Gonzaga return to Manila in Scene 3?

4. What information about Daisy Avila do Nest and Barbara impart in Scene 5?

5. How does Senator Avila relate to his right-wing counterparts in Scene 12?

6. What does Rio think about the Manila she has returned to?

7. What role does a real historical figure play in Scene 10?

8. What do Nestor and Barbara say about Philippines history in Scene 2?

9. Who is golfing in Scene 12?

10. In Scene 9, how does Rio's story about her grandmother reflect the changing Manila?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Early in the play, Joey Sands tells Rainer Fassbinder about the term Dogeaters, which was coined by the Americans when they colonized the Philippines. Write an essay about the colonial history of the nation, as portrayed in the play. How do individual characters relate to this history? How are they still coping with its after-effects? What does this say about the legacy of subjugation in general?

Essay Topic 2

The narrative of Dogeaters is based on actual historical events that took place in Manila, but Jessica Hagedorn intermingles fiction and fact in the play. Write an essay about this intermingling. What elements of the play - characters, settings, events - are factual, and what is dramatic invention? How do the fictional elements serve the historical truth Hagedorn is trying to impart?

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay about the world of Studio 54 and its ambiguous relationship to the zeitgeist of Manila. Describe the world that Perlita has created. How does it reflect a progressive attitude that is anathema to the Marcos platform? Why is the club valued by Imelda Marcos and her people? In the end, how does the club allow Perlita and Chiquiting to pass between two worlds?

(see the answer keys)

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