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. What does Deborah claim to be when Danny tries to pick her up?

2. What is Deborah's job?

3. How long does Deborah stay at Danny's apartment, according to Joan?

4. Why does the girl invite Bernie to her room?

5. What confession does Danny make to Deborah?

Short Essay Questions

1. After they sleep together for the first time, what do Danny and Deborah agree to do next?

2. How do Bernie and Danny feel about the women on the beach?

3. After Bernie realizes Danny is serious about Deborah, what warning does he give?

4. As Danny helps Deborah move out of her apartment, how does Joan behave?

5. What is Joan's reaction when Deborah informs her she is moving in with Danny?

6. Why have Bernie and Danny gone to the beach?

7. What is Joan's reaction to Deborah's new relationship?

8. What is Bernie trying to prove when he describes his sexual escapade on the phone in front of Danny?

9. What is the significance of Deborah and Danny's fight over the shampoo?

10. What two words did Deborah's mother mishear during Deborah's childhood?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Arguably, Joan and Bernie are the sidekicks of Sexual Perversity in Chicago. Though they are different in many ways, are they actually two sides of the same coin? Reexamine Joan's and Bernie's journeys throughout the play. How are their problems similar? What essential problem do each of them face? How do they deal with conflict? Would you call them secondary characters? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

Write a character study of Bernie Litko in Sexual Perversity in Chicago. Is Bernie a static character or a dynamic character, i.e., does he stay the same throughout the play or does he change? Did your opinion of Bernie change throughout the play? Why or why not? Describe aspects of Bernie's personality. What drives him through life? How may the childhood molestation have affected his behavior as an adult? How does he feel about women? Organize your thoughts into sections and devote at least one paragraph to each point.

Essay Topic 3

The Duck Variations deals with the impending, inevitable deaths of Emil and George through metaphors with ducks and nature. Do you think the playwright's metaphors were too thinly veiled to be interesting? At the end of the play, did you care about Emil and George? Is the play a discussion between two aging men, or the philosophic musings of a playwright? Do you think this should have been written as a play, or would an essay have sufficed to express the sentiments and questions posed? Examine some dramatic criticisms of the play and present your argument. Be sure to cite your sources.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 770 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample