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 does Hildy promise to his girlfriend before hanging up the phone in Act 1, Part 4?

2. What does Hildy do when Burns calls in Act 1, Part 4?

3. As we learn in Act 1, Part 1, why is Bensinger protective of his desk?

4. How do the reporters act when Jennie enters in Act 1, Part 3?

5. What does Hildy hear as he comes into the press room in Act 2, Part 1?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. 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?

3. What two different meanings can be interpreted from the way the other reporters react to Hildy's leaving in Act 1, Part 3?

4. What does the way Williams escapes from jail reveal about the sheriff, and what is the sheriff's response to it in Act 2, Part 2 tell us about his character?

5. What is the response to the fire alarm ringing by the reporters in Act 1, Part 1, and what does it say about their characters?

6. What important fact do we learn by Murphy about the Mayor and the Sheriff in Act 1, Part 2?

7. How does the final scene between Peggy, Hildy, and Burns tie in with the theme of the entire play, in particular, how it relates to Hildy's decision?

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

9. What is the main point or reason for the argument between Peggy and Hildy at the end of Act 2, Part 5?

10. What are the possible motives of Mollie's desperate act at the end of Act 2, Part 4, and what might they cause Hildy to think about at this point in the play?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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.

Essay Topic 2

Examine the interaction between Mollie and the reporters in Act 1, Part 4. How is her character introduced? Do the authors make it clear from the beginning that she will be integral to the plot? What does Mollie say about Williams and the shooting and why is that significant. What do the reporters reveal about themselves by the way they interact with Mollie?

Essay Topic 3

At the end of Act 2, Part 2, it is evident that the senator and the mayor do not agree on things. Explore some of the possibilities for why they have a dislike for each other. Do they represent opposite political views? Is one honest and the other deceitful? What past events might have affected their current opinions of each other? Describe the interaction between them in the play and use those examples to explain your theory.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,212 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample