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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 Margaret tell Dexter when he arrives at the end of Act 1, Part 4?

2. How many times does Liz tell Tracy she has been married?

3. Who has Sandy made a deal with about Seth's article?

4. How does Dinah know that Dexter is back in town?

5. Where do Sandy's guests work?

Short Essay Questions

1. What examples does Liz use to illustrate her point about the way a name doesn't always reflect character?

2. How does Liz explain her feelings for Mike to Sandy, what would make her fight for him, and why does she feel she does not have to?

3. What are Mike and Liz's thoughts of Tracy before they meet her and how are they significant?

4. How is the demeanor of the Lord family displayed in Act 1, Part 1?

5. What does the family do in Act 2, Scene 1, Part 2 that indicates a change in their priorities?

6. How are Tracy's high standards alluded to in the beginning of the play, and why are they important?

7. How does Tracy appear when first meeting Mike and Liz and what is her intention?

8. What do the lengths the Lord family is willing to go through say about their priorities?

9. What do Tracy and Mike decide about the previous evening's events and the wedding? Also, how does Tracy begin to realize exactly what might have happened?

10. What is relevant about the conversation between Tracy and Mike before he exits to get ready for her pre-wedding dinner?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Barry uses several key literary elements in The Philadelphia Story to make his point about the upper and lower class lifestyle differences.

1) Describe 2 examples of irony used in the play, why it was used, and how it added to the plot.

2) Describe 2 examples of foreshadowing used in the play, how Barry uses it, and what it added to the story.

3) Describe the pace of the play and how Barry uses dialogue to contribute to the effectiveness of the characters.

Essay Topic 2

Analyze Sidney Kidd, his role in the play, and how the other characters respond to him. What are his surprising actions at the end of the play? Why do they either dispute or confirm the opinions of him for the other characters? What does Kidd represent to the subplot his character is involved in, and what does he highlight in the overall theme of the play?

Essay Topic 3

Describe Tracy and Mike's evening together after the pre-wedding dinner. What are the motivations behind their actions? Are they based on emotions or their state of mind? Why does the author choose to have the characters interact with each other in this way? What does it cause them to realize and how does that reflect the message Barry is delivering?

(see the answer keys)

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