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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 great skill does Echo have?

2. Who enters the first scene wearing wings?

3. What do the wings represent to Artie?

4. Who is Artie named after?

5. In scene 3, which character does the audience meet more fully?

Short Essay Questions

1. At what point in scene 3 do you think the audience loses sympathy for Dorothea?

2. What do you think the purpose of this scene 3 is?

3. Why do you think Dorothea felt little or no grief when her husband died?

4. What does Artie admit is her own neurosis?

5. How are the 3 main characters related to each other?

6. What is the primary complication between the Westbrook women in this play?

7. Why do you think Artie runs away instead of letting her mother send her to college?

8. Why does Dorothea decide to take on a life of eccentricity?

9. Why do you think Artie is not worried about her own issues?

10. Who ignited Echo's original love of words?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Dorothea and Artie have negative feelings about Echo winning the spelling bee because of Echo's poor treatment of her opponent. How do you think things might have been different if Echo had actually lost the spelling bee? How do you think Artie and Dorothea would have reacted then?

Essay Topic 2

Dorothea gives her daughter and granddaughter very meaningful names: Artie (Artemis) and Echo. Dorothea explains her reasoning behind Echo's naming in the play. Artie is named after Artemis, a Greco-Roman huntress who was known for her ruthlessness and solitariness. Discuss how the characters' names fit their personalities. Give examples from the text to support your thoughts.

Essay Topic 3

Dorothea stresses the importance of education. Discuss how and why Dorothea demonstrates her valuing education over motherhood, and give examples from the play.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 661 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample