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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. Whose idea was it to have the band play at the house after the funeral?

2. What name does Claire call Catherine by?

3. Why is the proof so important?

4. Where did Claire want Catherine to stay, instead of coming back to the house to care for Robert?

5. Why is Catherine upset with Claire at the end of Scene 2?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Catherine describe Robert's mathematical processes?

2. Why does Hal think his papers get turned down for publication?

3. Robert was a graphomaniac. What does that mean?

4. Who is Sophie Germain?

5. Why is Hal insistent on going through all of Robert's notebooks?

6. What does Catherine give to Hal that morning? Where has Catherine been keeping the object ?

7. What is Hal's excuse for kissing Catherine?

8. What does Claire plan to do with the house?

9. What has Hal found in the locked drawer, and why is it so important?

10. When did Hal and Catherine first meet?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

When Catherine stays in bed for a week, Claire cancels her flight to take care of her.

1.) Does Catherine appreciate Claire staying behind to help her?

2.) Does Claire simply feel obligated to stay, or is she truly concerned for Catherine?

3.) Is Claire too quick to assume that Catherine may have a mental health problem?

Essay Topic 2

In the play, there is a fine line between madness and genius; kindness and presumption. Discuss this fine line as it applies to:

1.) Robert.

2.) Catherine.

3.) Claire.

Essay Topic 3

What are Catherine's arguments that she wrote the proof? What are Claire's arguments that she did not write the proof? Why is Hal skeptical? What is Catherine's explanation for her advanced understand of mathematics? At the climax of Act 1, Catherine tries to destroy the proof, though it is of extreme mathematical importance and she has poured her heart and soul into it. Why, at that point, is her only option to destroy it? Why does Claire stop her?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 646 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample