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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. Sophie tells Mama that she keeps her books in what location?

2. What action does Sophie take as she tells Salima that Fortune will not leave until he sees her?

3. Mama enters the living quarters in Scene 5 and orders which character to sweep the yard?

4. What object is Fortune holding in his hand as he talks to Mama from outside her place?

5. The stage directions at the end of Scene 5 indicate that the lights should take what action?

Short Essay Questions

1. What objects does Mama ask Sophie to fetch at the end of Scene 5 in Act Two and why?

2. What is ironic about Nottage's description of Fortune as being "like a centurion guarding the gates" (63)?

3. What action does Mama take immediately after accusing Sophie of stealing in Scene 5 of Act One?

4. How does Sophie respond to Mama's demand to hear her plans for the stolen money?

5. In what way is the motif of sound equated with life in the play entitled Ruined?

6. What was Beatrice's ultimate fate, according to Salima in Scene 2 of Act Two?

7. What instructions did the police give to Christian when he told them about the pastor's ultimate fate?

8. What action does Mama take immediately after she hears the news Christian delivers in Scene 6 of Act One?

9. In what way is the motif of escape depicted within Scene 1 of Act Two?

10. Describe Salima's living conditions during the five months she was held in captivity by soldiers.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

William Faulkner once famously claimed that the most important literature deals with the subject of the human heart in conflict with itself. Explain how the theme of Human versus Self is demonstrated within Nottage’s play Ruined. Create a decisive, arguable claim and prove it with quotes from the play.

Essay Topic 2

What is Nottage's message about the relationship between oppression and brutality within the play Ruined?

Essay Topic 3

How is the topic of shame treated within Ruined and how does its treatment relate to the play's depicted messages?

(see the answer keys)

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