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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 Pierce first drunkenly say to Pavlo?

2. What happens after the whistle blows?

3. What does Pavlo realize after explaining what happened to Ardell?

4. What was Pavlo's reason to Pierce for telling stories in the furnace room?

5. What is Pierce doing when Pavlo first meets him?

Short Essay Questions

1. Theorize as to Parham's purpose in the play besides being another wounded soldier/dead body for Pavlo to save in Act 2, Part 3.

2. What noteworthy aspect to Pavlo is hinted at in his story about Joanna, and what does it reveal to the audience about a possibly consistent trait of his character and experience?

3. How does the action unfolding in Act 2, Part 4 blur the line between delusion and reality in Pavlo's mind?

4. What key moments in Act 1, Part 4 drive the momentum and energy of the plot forward, and what feeling does that have the potential to create in the audience?

5. How does Pavlo's egocentrism and immaturity play a part in misleading him from the identity he so strongly desires?

6. How does the playwright use both the inconsistent plot-line and paradoxical aspects of Pavlo's character traits to create an introduction that makes the audience want to watch more?

7. Identify two juxtaposed aspects to Pavlo's character, and explain how they affect his identity.

8. What may be the significance or playwright's purpose for Pavlo realizing he's dead so far along into the play and after the climax?

9. In what ways are the playwright's use of the "collage effect" of creation especially poignant in this act?

10. Consider the graphic scenes presented in this part, and think about the word "mutilation." Employ this word to describe the deeper meanings of what is happening in these scenes. How are things, people, and ideas mutilated throughout this scene?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In the early scenes Ardell is seen to be something of a guide, showing Pavlo both the way into death and the way into himself, but in one scene he becomes a manifestation or externalization of Pavlo's inner drive to be a good soldier. This is illustrated by the way he drills Pavlo on the use of his weapon, and in later scenes, he performs similar instructional functions in similar circumstances. Identify and explain other moments during which Ardell becomes an externalization of Pavlo's inner life.

Essay Topic 2

As soon understood by the audience, scenes take place in different time frames, places, and even on different planes of existence; such as Pavlo being alive or Pavlo being dead. How is this narrative structure key to appreciating the play's style? Consider the phrase "the whole is more than the sum of its parts," and sum up your findings about the style of this play using this phrase to support your answer.

Essay Topic 3

In Act 2, Part 3, Pavlo is again confronted with a vivid reminder of how destructive war is. The juxtaposition here, between his enthusiasm for killing and the violence he encounters, in terms of what happens to Parham and what happens to him dramatizes even more vividly the discrepancy between what he wants to see and the reality in front of him. In what ways does Pavlo deal with this discrepancy? Would you say it is healthy? Why or why not? Support your thoughts with examples.

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