View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Tillie makes the following announcement at the beginning of the final scene in Act 1:
(a) "Mother, Nanny is choking."
(b) "Mother, I sprained my ankle in gym today."
(c) "Mother, I am dropping out of school."
(d) "Mother, they want me to do something at school."

2. Who does Beatrice receive a phone call from in Act 1?
(a) Janice Vickery.
(b) Mr. Goodman.
(c) Ruth.
(d) Nanny.

3. Tillie's classmates laugh at her at which of the following school events?
(a) A soccer game.
(b) A pep rally.
(c) A school play.
(d) A science assembly.

4. Ruth has one of the following problems:
(a) She has frequent nightmares.
(b) She has severe leg pain.
(c) She has an eating disorder.
(d) She is unable to read.

5. Why is Beatrice sad after she tells Ruth the story of her recurring nightmares?
(a) She fears that Nanny will pour a pot of boiling water on her head.
(b) She fears that there is nothing left for her in life.
(c) She fears she will never get over her fear of rats.
(d) She fears that Tillie and Ruth will never forgive her.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Beatrice do in the first act to distract Ruth and avoid being upset?

2. What is Beatrice wearing when she makes her entrance in Act 1?

3. What kind of school project is Tillie working on in Act 1?

4. Why is Ruth upset with Beatrice at the end of Act 1?

5. Ruth asks Beatrice to tell her a story, but requests that she leave out one part. What is the part of the story that she does not want to hear about?

Short Essay Questions

1. How would you characterize Janice Vickery's presentation at the science fair? What does this scene do for the mood of the play?

2. Describe Beatrice's demeanor toward Tillie at the end of the final scene in Act 1.

3. Why does Beatrice not tell the truth to her daughters about her experiences in high school?

4. Does Nanny know what has transpired in the Hunsdorfer home in Act 2? Are there any similarities between Nanny and Beatrice?

5. Why does Beatrice chloroform the rabbit?

6. Besides caring for Nanny, what else does Beatrice expect Ruth to do while at home during the science fair? In what way does Beatrice threaten Ruth if she does not fulfill these obligations?

7. How does Beatrice treat her daughter, Tillie?

8. Is Beatrice of sound mind?

9. What is Beatrice's opinion of the school that Tillie and Ruth attend?

10. Compare Janice Vickery's presentation at the science fair to Tillie's.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,209 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample