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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 brings Mrs. Grant, Peggy's mother, in during Act 2, Part 2?

2. What does Mrs. Grant tell Peggy and Hildy when she first arrives in Act 2, Part 2?

3. What does Hildy ask the reporters for before he leaves in Act 1, Part 3?

4. Who was unnoticed by Hildy until he turns to leave at the end of Act 2, Part 1?

5. What does Hildy offer Jennie in Act 1, Part 3?

Short Essay Questions

1. What request by the reporters is denied by the Sheriff in Act 1, Part 2, and how does the request itself depict their priorities?

2. How does Peggy react to Hildy's news in the beginning of Act 2, Part 2, and why?

3. How does Williams surprisingly reply to Mollie in Act 2, Part 4 when she offers to escape with him?

4. How does Williams meet Hildy in Act 2, Part 4, and what does he explain to him about the police?

5. What key role does the messenger play in Act 3, Part 3, and how do Hildy and Burns capitalize on it?

6. Who is Jennie, and what is the contrasting way the reporters and Hildy act towards her at the end of Act 1, Part 3?

7. What are the mayor's orders to the sheriff about Williams at the end of Act 2, Part 3, and what influences them?

8. When does Mollie say she saw Williams and how does she explain her relationship with him to the reporters in Act 1, Part 4?

9. What does the conversation between Hildy and Peggy at the beginning of Act 2, Part 2 bring to light, and how do they relate to Hildy's inner struggle?

10. What does Hildy's speech reveal about his feelings towards the newspaper business, and what event in Act 1, Part 3 somewhat contradicts it?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The reporters are joking in the background of many acts in the play, displaying their cynicism as well.

1) Describe three situations where the cynicism or joking is illustrated and why you think the authors included it for those specific parts of the play.

2) Describe the time or times that Hildy also participated in the cynicism and joking, and why it was necessary to show that side of his character. What did it illustrate?

Essay Topic 2

In Act 2, Part 4, Williams escapes from jail, causing Hildy to act on his reporter's instincts and choose to follow the story. Analyze his decision at that point in the play based on two factors:

1) Was the decision made purely out of instinct, or did he consider the alternatives, and consciously make it?

2) What is the association between Hildy's character and his decision? Based on the kind of person he is and the values he has, did he really have a choice? Why or why not?

Be sure to include specific examples from the play to support your opinions and analysis.

Essay Topic 3

Burns and the mayor show many similar character traits as the story unfolds. Describe these similarities and what they mean for both characters. In particular, what does it represent for Burns in an ironic, or even hypocritical sense? Be sure to use the play to provide specific examples.

(see the answer keys)

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