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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 Ardell tell Pavlo to do after being found close to death?

2. As Hinkle goes out of the barracks, what does Kress ask him to do?

3. What is Pavlo wearing when Ardell shouts at him to get up from under the blanket?

4. What are the soldiers in the barracks gambling with?

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

Short Essay Questions

1. Using the fragmentary nature of the plot line thus far as a platform, describe the impression it has on the way by which the audience will begin to learn about the main character.

2. How does Pavlo's answer Kress regarding stealing and how does this provide an insight into Pavlo's egocentric nature?

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

4. How is Pavlo's understanding of acceptable social engagement impaired? Back up your answer with examples.

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

6. Pavlo seems to respond to events in many different ways. Explain how his response to Pierce, when Pierce urges him to fight back, can be viewed as a highly perceptive and telling one for the audience about Pavlo's life views.

7. How is it ironic that Pavlo has joined the army in order to find his true, personal identity?

8. What might "Jody" in the final military song of Act 2, Part 5 represent or metaphorically speak to?

9. How is the incident of Pavlo taking the aspirin and not waking up during the other trainees' games symbolic? How is this foreshadowing?

10. Choose and explore one character trait of Pavlo that is revealed in the beginning of this play.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

As the collage takes shape, we see how Pavlo joined the army in order to define himself, and we see how Pavlo ends, with a defined identity as a dead soldier. Using the platform of Rabe's anti-war sentiments that run throughout this play, explore how Rabe's choice to expose Pavlo's death so early on in the play creates an even more powerful statement against the fortunes of war.

Essay Topic 2

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 3

As new characters are introduced, we begin to realize that many of their names may not have been arbitrarily assigned. That is to say that their names have metaphorical meaning in relation to the plot and setting itself. Write an essay exploring the possible meanings behind 3 or more characters' names in the play and how those names fit the characters' words and/or actions. Conclude by crediting these metaphors to a deeper understanding of Rabe's intention in naming these characters.

(see the answer keys)

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