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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 the subtext or implied by Geoffrey's comment about his friends' lives in Act 2, Scene 1?

2. What do Tess and Sara argue about during Act 1, Scene 4?

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

4. Who clears the dinner table at the opening of Act 1, Scene 4?

5. What does Merv say about the circumstances of his wife's death?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Merv reveal about his wife?

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

3. How is Pfeni closer to her true self after Act 2, Scene 2?

4. What truth does Gorgeous speak to Pfeni about Geoffrey?

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

6. Why might Sara refuse to sing for Merv?

7. What might the tea kettle Nick gifts to Sara represent?

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

9. Describe Geoffrey's beliefs about his and Pfeni's work as artists.

10. Who do the three sisters toast and why?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The love lives of all four women (including Tess) is an important element of the play. Discuss each of the women in turn and how their relationship reflects their character and their character's growth.

Essay Topic 2

Choose two objects in the play and describe their role in symbolism. You might choose the tea kettle Sara receives, the statue of Shiva, the Chanel suit, Merv's shirt, or something else. What is symbolized by the object, and what is its role in the play and to the characters?

Essay Topic 3

Each sister is transformed in some way by the events that occur during the course of the play. Discuss each sister in turn, and how she is transformed.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 692 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample