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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 denies Mama's assertion that being 'ruined' causes one's former identity to do what?

2. When Scene 3 of Act Two begins, what kind of weather is occurring outside?

3. Who asks Mama to go to Kinshasa with him to run a business together?

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

5. Christian tells Mama in Scene 6 that which character's dead body had recently been found?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. In what way is Sophie treated like an outcast, even among the women at Mama's place?

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

5. In what way does Nottage use physical space in order to generate a particular emotion in the audience?

6. What does Mama tell Fortune in Scene 3 of Act Two as he stands in the pouring rain outside the bar?

7. What was the cause of the pastor's ultimate fate, according to Christian?

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

9. What is the setting of Scene 5 of Act One?

10. What does the pot symbolize within the play?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze the interplay between the resolution of Ruined and one of the play's main messages. How does Nottage make connections between these elements and how does their juxtaposition help them get across one main message of the play?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss Nottage’s reasons for including Swahili phrases alongside the play’s use of English as its primary language.

Essay Topic 3

What messages does Nottage send about hope and what themes are employed in order to send these messages to the reader?

(see the answer keys)

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