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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. When Gorgeous enters Act 2, Scene 2, what does she say she is tired of?

2. What does Sara say she wants to do with Geoffrey as the two of them discuss their relationship at the opening of Act 2, Scene 1?

3. What literary work is referred to in Act 2, Scene 2?

4. What question does Merv pose about his wife's death during Act 1, Scene 4?

5. What does Pfeni say about herself as a daughter during Act 2, Scene 1?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why might Sara refuse to sing for Merv?

2. What is the significance of Merv calling Sara by the name Sadie?

3. What is implied by Geoffrey in his scene with Pfeni when he talks of friends dying unfulfilled?

4. Explain why Pfeni and Geoffrey were first drawn to each other and crazy about each other when they met.

5. How does Merv compare Sara to pre-war Jewish women?

6. What sort of emotions does Pfeni seem to exhibit about her work?

7. Explain the two epiphanies Geoffrey has at the beginning of Act 2, Scene 2 regarding Pfeni.

8. What is represented by the Yiddish recording Sara plays?

9. Which sister seems to be the most truthful in Act 2, Scene 1 and why?

10. How does Gorgeous think her sisters feel about her?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Wendy Wasserstein, the playwright, was part of the theatre community in New York, and would, necessarily as part of it, have been affected by the AIDS epidemic and the lost lives of men young men in that community. Discuss the character of Geoffrey. Why do you think Wasserstein chose to write his character in the way she did. What do you think she was saying about the shortness of life itself and the importance of art?

Essay Topic 2

A theme of familial expectations runs through the play. The character of Rita appears to have had expectations for her daughters. Sara has expectations for Tess that her daughter rebels against. Discuss familial expectations and how those expectations are either fulfilled or altered during the course of the play.

Essay Topic 3

Consider the statue of Shiva, the goddess of rebirth and destruction. Examine Shiva and her symbolism in light of the character changes that Sara undergoes. How is her old life destroyed and a new life and beginning formed? Use specific examples from the play.

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