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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. Which character at the ghost supper announces, "Bring the Mummy in and the party can begin" (28)?

2. For which character does the servant named Bengtsson work?

3. What does the Old Man want the Colonel to do with his own "devoted servant" (25)?

4. When Act II begins, in what location is the Girl sitting as she reads?

5. What material covers the cupboard door inside the Round Room?

Short Essay Questions

1. For what reason is the Mummy "unable to tolerate" the "sight of her own daughter" (19)?

2. How does Strindberg subvert traditional notions about family within Act II?

3. Which character is depicted within the portrait in the Round Room and what is the portrait's symbolism?

4. What does the Old Man mean when he tells Bengtsson that his visit to the house is "not unexpected," though he knows it is certainly "undesired" (21)?

5. Discuss an instance in the play when Strindberg sends a particular message about social hierarchy.

6. In what way does the Old Man respond to the Colonel's claim that he has two things that the Old Man "cannot possess" (25)?

7. Discuss an instance when Strindberg uses the music motif in conjunction with an instance of foreshadowing.

8. What events lead the Old Man to conclude that the "place is haunted" (21)?

9. What does the Colonel have in his hand when he first meets the Old Man and what is the object's significance?

10. Identify an instance of comic relief within the play and discuss its purpose.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze Strindberg from an Existential perspective. What elements of life does it suggest hold the most meaning and why?

Essay Topic 2

What messages does Strindberg send about hope and what themes are employed in order to send these messages to the reader?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the instances of irony within the narrative of The Ghost Sonata and analyze Strindberg’s purpose for including each instance you discuss.

(see the answer keys)

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