Print
Word
PDF
|
| Name: _________________________ | Period: ___________________ |
This test consists of 5 short answer questions and 1 (of 3) essay topics.
Short Answer Questions
1. What does Pavlo feel about having assaulted Wall?
2. Whom did Ardell specify that Pavlo killed?
3. Where is Mrs. Hummel's job, where she meets Sally?
4. What does Pavlo say he is happy about in relation to the bodies?
5. How is Pavlo brought into the bar for the final time?
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
In terms of Pavlo's innocence about people, again we see in this scene that his he does have compassion for his fellow soldiers. However, his methods of going about connecting with his fellow soldiers don't have anything to do with who they are. It's all about what he, Pavlo, feels and believes. His attitude is centered in the common enough desire to be liked and respected and above all seen as an individual with value. This is connected to his desire for an identity. If he's seen, for example, as someone with a colorful family or a colorful history, that defines him and gives him an identity. Explain by citing examples from the play how Pavlo's ego-centrism gets in the way of all of his goals and desires to become the man he wants to become.
Essay Topic 2
The argument could be made that Pavlo's willful and continuous acts of denial spring from a classic tragic flaw. In the same way as classical characters of potential greatness like Oedipus, Hamlet, or Macbeth are brought to destruction by flaws of character (pride, indecision, or ambition), Pavlo is conceivably a character of potential greatness deeply flawed by self-delusion. The counter to this argument is that we never actually see Pavlo's greatness, not even a glimpse of it. In fact, from the beginning, he is portrayed as both loser and lost, defining his identity through the actions and example of other people. Does this make him any less tragic, or does his death portray him as the definitive victim? Choose a side to argue and consistently refer to examples from the book to back up your argument.
Essay Topic 3
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.
|
This section contains 480 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) |
|
