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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. Where did Jabe have surgery?

2. Where was Lady's father from?

3. Where is the play set?

4. What does Vee say she's been doing for ten hours straight in Act 1 Scene 1?

5. What does Carol tell Val she's not allowed to do?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Lady compare her body to in Act 3 Scene 3 when talking to Val?

2. What are some of the "oddities" Val tells Lady about himself?

3. How is Lady shot? Who shoots her?

4. Why does Lady call the pharmacist in Act 1 Scene 2?

5. How does Val believe human beings used to connect? How does he feel now?

6. What does Lady ask Val in Act 2 Scene 4 about the money? What does he respond?

7. What happens when the Conjure Man appears in the beginning of Act 3 Scene 3?

8. Why does Val say that Jim Crow killed Bessie Smith?

9. What did Lady's father come to America with?

10. Why does Val brush off Carol in Act 1?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe the use of snake and reptile imagery in the play. What does Carol's last line mean? Paraphrase this line in your answer and describe how it relates to Val.

Essay Topic 2

Describe Lady's relationship with David. What happened and when did this take place? How does Lady feel about David now?

Essay Topic 3

Orpheus Descending is in part about the place of the artist in society. What role should the artist play? Is the artist always likely to be marginalized, like Val, or misunderstood, like Vee, in a conventional, materialistic society? For what should the artist stand, if anything?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 718 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample