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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. Whom does Garcin see in his vision?

2. What color does Garcin say his wife always wears?

3. When talking about the decoration of the room, Estelle says that she has always...?

4. What did Estelle die of?

5. Garcin sees whom in his vision?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Garcin's response to Inez saying that there was reason to be afraid "before," but not now?

2. Why do you think the author shows Garcin looking at his colleagues relaxing at the end of the day, smoking cigars?

3. When Garcin asks the Valet what is outside the room, what does the Valet say?

4. Do you think that one of these characters is more truthful than the other two? If so, which one?

5. Why does Inez believe Garcin to be her torturer?

6. What does Estelle say about why she thinks she is in the room?

7. What are some of the things that cause tension between Inez and Garcin?

8. Describe Inez's reaction to the Estelle's and Garcin's reasons for why they are in the room.

9. Describe, at this point in the play, the nature of hell.

10. How do you know that these characters are dead and in hell, despite the fact that Sartre does not explicitly state it?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

There is a lot of implicit meaning in this play, and the characters misrepresent their pasts to varying degrees. While Inez is relatively upfront about her crimes, Garcin holds back and Estelle is in severe denial about her past. Pick two of the explicit actions of the play below and discuss the implicit significance of each.

A) Garcin kissing Estelle.

B) Inez lying about the pimple.

C) Estelle crying without tears.

Essay Topic 2

Feminist critique of this play might argue that while all three characters are unlikable, the portrayal of women is skewed toward the negative. Inez is cruel and Estelle vain, and Garcin makes altogether a more sympathetic impact on the audience.

(chose one, A or B)

A) Compare and contrast the ways Sartre characterizes Inez and Estelle. Focus on textual specifics: What they look like, how they behave, and what the audience thinks of them. How are their portrayals similar to and different from each other?

B) Decide if you think that Garcin is a sympathetic character and one audiences will like. Defend your argument either that he is likable or is not likable with examples.

Then:

C) Discuss how the off screen characters--Roger, Florence, Inez's cousin, Garcin's wife--affect your interpretation of and response to either A) or B) above.

Essay Topic 3

One of the off screen aspects of this play are visions the characters have of their former lives and survivors back on earth. Each of the three sees visions of how life is carrying on without them.

Pick either

A) Garcin,

B) Estelle or

C) Inez

and describe what they see when they look back to earth. Be sure to explain what they literally see and what they tell the others in the room about it. Also describe what their vision represents, either symbolically or in terms of the guilt and denial the characters are experiencing.

(see the answer keys)

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