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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 item on the boat does Emil mistake for a woman?

2. Who is the hereditary Enemy of the Duck?

3. To what bodily function do the two compare the mystery of the ducks' purpose?

4. What survival tools has Nature given the duck?

5. Of what quality is the boat?

Short Essay Questions

1. With what example does George contradict Emil's statement that nothing can live alone?

2. What does George think differentiates a pigeon from a duck?

3. What do the men discover is the trick to duck season?

4. How does George, in contradiction with some of his other statements, describe the simple life of a duck?

5. According to Emil, what is happening to some fish near Australia?

6. What point does Emil make about the wild Buffalo?

7. What advantages do ducks have that Blue Herons do not?

8. According to George, what does a duck wish for on his deathbed?

9. What cycle must the lead duck go through?

10. On what fact about ducks do the men disagree?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

When Danny and Deborah argue about the shampoo, is their argument really all about the shampoo? Why or why not? How is their power struggle indicative of the time period in the play? What are the larger societal implications of their argument? Reexamine the scene. Point out who has the power at what moment and why.

Essay Topic 2

What stereotypes are used in Sexual Perversity in Chicago? How do such stereotypes contribute to the story, and to understanding the characters? Examine scene six in the play. Why is this scene significant? What does it reveal about the characters in the play? How do their sexual impulses control them? Why is it a problem for them to be controlled by sexual impulses? Does this restrict other areas of their lives? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

What are the conflicts faced by Emil and George in The Duck Variations? How do they approach, discuss, and resolve these conflicts? Examine the play's theme of the city and man versus the natural world. How are the two in conflict? How do Emil and George attempt to reconcile this conflict, and in which camp are they? What other universal themes are present in the play, and how do the men approach them?

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This section contains 678 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample