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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 does Artie force down Bananas' throat in order to calm her down?

2. What does Bunny stuff into her boots in order to keep her feet warm?

3. Why won't Bunny agree to the condition that Artie proposes if she wants him to accompany her to see the Pope?

4. What is the character doing at the opening of the play?

5. Who looks out of the bedroom at Artie and Bunny while they are talking?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Artie angrily close the piano lid on top of Bananas' fingers?

2. Why are all of the characters acting so desperately by the end of Act II, Scene I, Part II?

3. What does Bananas' story about being on the snowy rooftop foreshadow?

4. Why does Bunny say that until Artie met her, he was afraid of life?

5. How is the truth about what the color blue means revealed in Act I, Part II?

6. Is Artie eager for success? If so, how can you tell?

7. When does Artie claim he gave up on Bananas and her sanity?

8. What does the Prologue do?

9. Why does Corrinna ask the nuns to pray for her?

10. What does Bunny reveal that she wishes to happen when she first introduces herself to the audience?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The longing to be noticed is a thematic element common to characters in American dramatic literature. Compare this among the characters in The House of Blue Leaves to another novel or play you have read that has this same recurring theme. Use specific information and quotes from The House of Blue Leaves, while the other novel/play can be loosely paraphrased.

Essay Topic 2

Bananas and Artie clearly have a dysfunctional relationship. Artie goes through a range of emotions pertaining to Bananas throughout the play before eventually strangling her at the end. Analyze the couple's relationship through a chronological standpoint, assessing the significance of their relationship in the play. Use specific information and quotes from the text to support your response.

Essay Topic 3

Dreams appear numerous times in The House of Blue Leaves, either from Artie or Bananas. Discuss some of these two characters' dreams and why they are in the play. What is their significance? What do they reveal about the characters to the audience? Are they necessary to the play's narrative? Cite specific information and quotes from the text to support your answer.

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