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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. Indecent had its New York premiere where?

2. To whom is Lemml related?

3. Where did Vogel and Taichmann first begin to work on Indecent?

4. What does Peretz tell Sholem will happen to him when the public gets ahold of this play?

5. What type of plays do the men at the salon want, regarding the Jewish people?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why are many of the men upset and horrified by what Yekel does with the Torah scroll?

2. How do Madje and Sholem respond differently to the future of Sholem’s play in the beginning of the play?

3. Describe the language used in the play.

4. When and why was The God of Vengeance put on trial?

5. Sholem compares himself to one of the prostitutes in his play. When and why does he do this?

6. How does this section end?

7. Why might it be important that Nakhmen state that his nephew, Lemml, has never seen a play?

8. How do the men in the salon react to Rifkele and Manke’s embrace? Why?

9. Did Vogel end up including the trial in the play? Why or why not?

10. How does the director stage the opening scene to show that the troupe is dead?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

After The God of Vengeance was put on trial, it was decided that it was an obscene play. Why? What are the problems with the play, according to the ruling? How does this ruling reveal prejudice towards some and a view of others as if through rose-colored glasses?

Essay Topic 2

When Lemml arrives in Staten Island, he refuses to cross the Asch home shvel, or threshold. Why? How is a threshold important in other parts of the play? Why might the playwright choose to give such importance to a home’s threshold?

Essay Topic 3

Sholem refuses, at the end of the play, to grant John Rosen’s request. What is his request? Why does Sholem deny him? What does this reveal about Sholem? How does Rosen respond to Sholem’s denial? What does this reveal about him? How might this also be a reflection of young Sholem vs old Sholem?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 930 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample