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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. Why does Weller throw the score card to the ground in Act 2, Scene 1?

2. After making the mistake of getting sick, what mistake did Weller make next?

3. What signs does Weller show of possibly having a heart attack?

4. According to Weller in Act 2, Scene 1, what is the hottest topic of discussion at the Home?

5. How was Weller possibly a dishonest business man?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the significance of the choir striking up in the last moments of the closing scene of the play? What kind of tune might they be singing?

2. Towards the end of Act 2, Scene 1, Weller begins talking to himself. How is this 'craziness' foreshadowed?

3. What word in particular was Fonsia daunted by when working?

4. In what way does the weather follow Weller's cues in Act 2, Scene 2?

5. How many hands has Weller won throughout the play?

6. In Act 2, Scene 1 Weller says "You can't keep anything around here." What connection does this have with Act 1, Scene 2?

7. In the beginning of Act 2, Scene 1, Weller's temper is the subject of the players discussion. What is Fonsia alluding to when she says "I don't think I'm so much afraid of what you're going to do to me. I just don't know what's going to happen next..."

8. In Act 2, Scene 1, are Weller's apologies sincere? What about his motive?

9. Explain the exchange of the sweater in Act 2, Scene 2. What could the exchange of the sweater represent?

10. In what way does the rain storm in Act 2, Scene 2 complement Fonsia's emotions?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The play was first performed in 1976. How do the relationships between men and women, as exemplified by the characters in the play, reflect a broken system? More specifically, what outmoded social roles are followed by the characters and do they contribute to their animosity towards one another?

Essay Topic 2

How does the poem 'As Leaden as the Aftermath of Wine,' by Alexander Pushkin relate to the play?

Essay Topic 3

How are Weller and Fonsia's ex-spouses similar in nature? How are they different from her father as she remembers him? Is her son the victim of preconceived notions of hers?

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