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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. Who is dancing for tips from soldiers when Scene 2 of Act One opens?

2. What significant question does Mama ask Christian after Josephine takes Sophie and Salima out back to get washed up?

3. What does Mama plan to do with the parrot, according to her comment to Christian in Scene 1 of Act One?

4. Which character does Christian instruct, telling her to avoid making "Mama angry" (18)?

5. What name does Mama insist that the young women in her care call her?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the significance of Mama's query to Christian about whether he had "at least" [told] them this time"?

2. Describe Commander Osembenga.

3. In what way does the theme of deception enter the narrative in Scene 1 of Act One?

4. For what reason does Mama show her raw diamond to Mr. Harari?

5. Who is Christian and why is Mama surprised to see him?

6. What clue about Christian's true nature is revealed on his way out of the bar in Scene 1 of Act One?

7. What is Mama's policy about armed men in her establishment and what is ironic about the policy?

8. What special talent does Sophie have?

9. What transgression does Mama watch Sophie commit in Scene 4 of Act One?

10. To whom does Mama appear to pledge her allegiance at the beginning of Scene 2 of Act One and why might appearances be deceiving in this case?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explicate the theme of courage within Ruined. What is Nottage’s message regarding courage and how do you know?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss Sophia’s role within the events of the play and explain how her character helps to further develop certain themes that are key to Nottage's piece.

Essay Topic 3

Sensory details are used frequently by Nottage in order to create vivid pictures of each character's progression through the narrative of Ruined. Choose three scenes in which sensory details are heavily used and discuss how the sensory details used serve Nottage’s creation of vivid characters to populate the narrative.

(see the answer keys)

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