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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. What is Treplieff's mother's job?

2. What does Trigorin say makes him happy?

3. What does Arkadina say it is Nina's duty to do?

4. What does Akadina say she never likes to look into?

5. What does Treplieff wish his mother was?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Masha think she can forget Constantine?

2. Why are Simon and Yevgeny so poor?

3. How does Boris try to extinguish bad feelings between himself and Constantine?

4. Why does Simon wants to go home?

5. Why does Madame Arkadina say she cannot give her son money to travel?

6. What does Madame Arkadina say is the secret to looking youthful?

7. What do Madame Arkadina and Constantine argue about?

8. What do Boris and Nina say to each other before Boris leaves?

9. What do the characters say about Constantine's work when he is gone?

10. How does Boris react when Madame Arkadina says they leave?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Identify the main themes of the story. In what way are these themes relevant to the time period? How does the author use character and setting to express these themes?

Essay Topic 2

Why do Simon and Masha get married if they are not both in love? In what way does Chekhov suggest that union could prove destructive? What effect could such marriage have on children?

Essay Topic 3

Compare American and Russian culture.

What are the differences between the two cultures?

In what way have the two cultures influenced each other?

(see the answer keys)

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