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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. How much money does Levene offer to pay up front for the premium leads?

2. Which two words does Aaronow confuse while furtively agreeing with Moss in Scene 2?

3. How many salesmen are definitely getting fired at the end of the month?

4. How much does Moss eventually promise to give Aaronow for the robbery?

5. What has Aaronow heard about the list of names that Jerry Graff bought?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Williamson blow Roma's big sale?

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

3. What competitive sales situation has Williamson created in the office?

4. Describe Moss's exit from the play.

5. In what way is the scene between Lingk and Roma a multilevel communication?

6. How is Roma different from the other salesmen in the play?

7. How does Jerry Graff get started in business on his own?

8. Describe James Lingk in Act 2.

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

10. How does Williamson figure out that Levene robbed the office?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

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 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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