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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 happens to the crew of the ship in the parable of the sailor?

2. How does Sister James say the students feel about Sister Aloysius?

3. Why does Sister Aloysius say they cannot go to the Monsignor with their suspicions about Father Flynn?

4. What is Sister James' reaction when Sister Aloysius tells her she was married before she took her vows?

5. In which place does Sister Aloysius says innocence is wisdom?

Short Essay Questions

1. In Scene 2, what is Sister Aloysius talking about when she asks: what good is a gift when it is left in the box?

2. Why does Sister Aloysius think William London is headed for trouble?

3. Why does Sister Aloysius say that it makes sense for Father Flynn to take interest in Donald Muller?

4. In Scene 5, what two things about Father Flynn shock Sister Aloysius?

5. Why does Father Flynn say it is dangerous to think at the foul line?

6. Why does Sister Aloysius say she cannot afford an excessively innocent teacher?

7. Why does Sister Aloysius want to see Sister James become more self-confident?

8. In Scene 1, why does the sailor in Father Flynn's sermon feel despair when clouds cover the sky?

9. Why does Father Flynn say even in individual doubt, one is not alone?

10. According to Father Flynn, how did President Kennedy's death bring people together?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Several times throughout the play we see characters performing typical daily routines, such as pruning a rosebush, listening to the radio, or talking to a basketball team. Yet not a word in this play is wasted. Each action is meant to reveal something about the characters. Write and essay examining two routine actions seen in the play and discuss what they reveal about the character performing them.

Essay Topic 2

There are so many ways in which doubt is raised throughout the course of the play. In Scene 5, we see a confrontation between Father Flynn and Sister Aloysius, and by the end the audience is left wondering if the battle is more personal than professional. What is your opinion on the confrontation? Is Sister Aloysius simply out to get Father Flynn because of personal differences, or is she truly concerned about his professional role with the students and their well-being? Provide examples to support your opinion.

Essay Topic 3

What do Father Flynn's long fingernails tells us about him? What do they represent? How does Sister Aloysius feel about his fingernails? Why are Father Flynn's long fingernails significant?

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