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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 Uncle Willie offer to show Liz as everyone is dressing for dinner?

2. Where did Tracy elope with her first husband?

3. What question does Mike ask Sandy about George and Tracy?

4. How does Dinah introduce herself to Mike and Liz?

5. Where is George staying?

Short Essay Questions

1. What do we learn about George in Act 1, Part 2?

2. What do Seth and Uncle Willie talk about while pretending to be each other upon first meeting Mike and Liz?

3. How do Tracy and Margaret's marriages compare, and what is the difference between how the two look at them?

4. Which one of Mike's stories does Tracy single out and what does it signify?

5. What is the significance of Tracy's drinking, and how is it illustrated in the play?

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

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

8. How are Tracy and Mike alike? How are they different?

9. What is Tracy trying to figure out about Mike after reading his stories, and what is significant about her observation of him?

10. What does Mike say to Tracy after the pre-wedding dinner that she responds to, reminding her of Dexter?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Tracy and Mike are naturally drawn together because of their similar journeys.

1) How are Tracy and Mike both facing similar problems with their outlook on life. In what ways are they different?

2) What main things has Tracy learned from Mike and what has he learned from her? Why are those lessons essential to the overall message in the play?

3) Which character traits do Tracy and Mike have that make them both receptive to each other?

Essay Topic 2

Describe the steps the Lord family takes to correct the situation they are in and why it is significant to Tracy's personal situation. How does it affect her development? Does it make it easier or more difficult? Why?

Essay Topic 3

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.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 970 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample