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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. Why did Gar not go to college?

2. What does public Gar mean when he says “he got ten minutes’ overtime out of my hide” (2)?

3. Who is SB O'Donnell?

4. What is Gar's mood in the beginning of the play?

5. Why do public and private Gar sing "Philadelpha, here I come" together after Boyle leaves, in Episode 1 (36)?

Short Essay Questions

1. How realistic is private Gar’s pretense about public Gar being employed by the owner of the biggest chain of hotels?

2. What is the significance of private Gar’s observation, “it’s all about to begin. It’s all over” (3)?

3. What is Boyle’s parting advice to Gar?

4. When does private Gar taunt public Gar with memories of Katie and why?

5. How does Madge interpret SB’s silence as his son plans to leave?

6. What is SB’s nightly routine? Why does private Gar mock him for it?

7. What is the effect of the imagery, “big bugger of a jet, with its snout pointing straight for the States and its tail belching smoke over Ireland" (3) ?

8. Who makes the decision to tell Katie’s parents about their plan to get married? Do they tell them? Why?

9. Who is Madge and how old is she?

10. Who is Master Boyle? How is he different from SB?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explore the theme of escape in the play and how it applies to Gar’s wish to be away from the people in his life and his wish to leave Ireland. Take into consideration the context of Ireland in the 1960s.

Essay Topic 2

Examine Gar’s relationship with Katie in the past and the present. How have things changed? What does that say about Gar?

Essay Topic 3

Describe Gar’s friends and their reaction to Gar’s impending departure. Are his friends part of the situation Gar wishes to escape?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 780 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample