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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. What is different about the sales game these days, according to Levene?

2. What is Graff offering in addition to money for the premium leads?

3. What land group does Moss reminisce about in the beginning of Scene 2?

4. Why, according to Moss, do these awful leads put their names in for information?

5. Where does the first scene of the play take place?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the reality of Levene's big sale, according to Williamson?

2. In what ways do people deal with the uncertainties in life according to Roma?

3. According to Moss, what must a man do to go out on his own?

4. How does Moss initially broach the idea of robbing the office?

5. How does Levene characterize the leads he is given?

6. Describe Ricky Roma.

7. What new information does the audience find out about the contest in this scene?

8. Describe George Aaronow.

9. How does Williamson respond to Levene's offer of money?

10. Describe some of the extravagant claims Levene makes about his past with the company.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The character of Dave Moss is often described as having a big mouth, but for all his pontificating on the ways of the world his exact motivation is unclear. Do you think he is an angry man driven to desperation and crime, or is he conniving, greedy man who takes advantage of a desperate situation? Write an essay stating your opinion and citing specifics from the text as evidence.

Essay Topic 2

One of the central drivers of plot in the play is the sales contest. Write an essay on this contest in three parts:

Part 1) Williamson is the bearer of new from Mitch and Murray, and he endeavors to explain the reasoning behind the contest. How does he defend the contest to Levene? Do you think it is intended to increase revenue, reduce the work force, or both?

Part 2) Levene, Moss, and Aaronow all decry the idiocy of the contest in the first act. What are their points regarding it? How was the business run in the past in terms of compensation? Do you think these men have a point?

Part 3) What unintended consequences result for the institution of this contest? Does the company ultimately benefit from it? What problems does it cause for Williamson and the salesmen?

Essay Topic 3

The framing device of the first act only gives us brief glimpses of the characters, and it never puts all of them in the same room. Moreover, it gives us information about the contest in small portions. How does this affect the way the view experiences the play? What speculations does it create? How is the audience prepared for the second act?

(see the answer keys)

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