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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 Gross finally concede to do in Act 1, Scene 4?

2. What does the item that Gross is carrying in Act 1, Scene 5 symbolize?

3. Who does Helena introduce herself as?

4. Which phrase best describes the clerk's actions?

5. Where does Act 1, Scene 3 take place?

Short Essay Questions

1. What are some examples of the familiarity of Ballas' morning as Managing Director and what is it similar to?

2. How is Lear's explanation of Ptydepe used to display the arrogance and self-indulgent actions of bureaucrats?

3. What is significant about Thumb's interaction with Lear in Act 2, Scene 11?

4. What is Ballas' new offer to Gross, and what is the cause of it as well as the reasoning behind it?

5. What reasoning does Gross give Maria for not reversing the decision about her job?

6. What is it about the letter Gross receives that gets his attention, why is it significant to the play, and how does Gross react to it?

7. What is different about Thumb's responses in Act 2, Scene 8 as compared to earlier in the play?

8. As illustrated in Scene 8, what is necessary for a bureaucracy to have power over its workers, and what is this an analogy for?

9. What are two main issues that Gross has with Ptydepe in Act 1, Scene 1?

10. What does Maria's locating a new job for Gross say about her as a character, and what does Gross' reason for staying with the company say about him as a character?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

One of the characters that display Havel's satire the most is Hana. Describe her actions throughout the play and how they become a part of the humor that accompanies satire. Also, what is her place within the bureaucracy and what do her daily activities say about it in a larger sense?

Essay Topic 2

At a few key times in the play, sparks of hope present themselves. This is what keeps the audience hoping that Gross can turn things around, and it is also what makes them believe it may be possible.

1) Describe some examples of hope that Gross does not see or recognize at the time they are presented to him. What is the irony of this? What does it say about Gross' character?

2) The character of Maria is consistently a main source of hope for Gross. Why do you think Gross is inclined to receive positive messages from her more than from other characters? What is it about Maria's personality that allows her to break through the bureaucracy and provide the hope Gross desperately needs?

Essay Topic 3

Many characters in the play are given names to illustrate their specific place in the story, in the company, and in Havel's central theme in general. Sometimes these names are also references to other people or things.

1) Choose at least four characters and describe in detail why their names accomplish what Havel sets out to show with each of them. Use examples from the play to provide the reasoning for how you draw your conclusions.

2) Do you think that Havel also chose these names to add a comedic element to the characters as well? Why or why not? If that is the case, how does he achieve this?

(see the answer keys)

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