View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Why did McCarthy plant the newspaper story?

2. From who does Hellman receive a generous inheritance?

3. What disappointed Hellman about Americans during the McCarthy hearings?

4. Hellman told the committee she could either testify her way or she'd what?

5. What was strange about the page?

Short Essay Questions

1. What damage remained after Hellman's hearing?

2. Why did Hellman have to stop writing when returning from Rome?

3. What was Leonard Bernstein's advice to Hellman about her testimony? Why didn't Hellman need to follow it?

4. What was the House Committee's response to Hellman's letter? How would she proceed with her testimony?

5. How would it have been difficult for Hellman to learn about the new subpoena? How did she?

6. Was Hellman's plan to abstain from incriminating others impossible?

7. Why did the Committee have to dismiss Hellman?

8. Why did the government need to convince the public that the progressive man was immoral?

9. Why did Hellman go to London?

10. In Hellman's opinion, who did the greatest harm to America? How?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Hellman was not a Communist, but became involved with the party over time and became a supporter. Discuss Communism and the appeal to Hellman, making sure to discuss why she wasn't a member, but supported it. Give examples from the book to support your statements.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss and compare Hellman's modes when it came to resisting and responding to her predicament and McCarthy's modes of control and intimidation. Give examples from the book of both Hellman and McCarthy to support your answers.

Essay Topic 3

Hellman often switches from an objective account to a personal blow to government officials. Many of these comments add humor to the text. Discuss how Hellman uses humorous and ridiculous recollection in her work. What does this display about her subconscious perspective? Hellman as a person? Hellman at the time of writing?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 759 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample