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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. How many murders does Duffy say are committed in the city every day?

2. What time does Mr. Stevenson say in the telegram that he is leaving?

3. What sound does Mrs. Stevenson make when she throw herself back against the pillows?

4. What time is it as Duffy tries to end the call with Mrs. Stevenson?

5. What does Duffy say about Second Avenue?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who is the telegram from that Mrs. Stevenson receives, and what does it say?

2. What does Duffy tell Mrs. Stevenson when she says that the murder could take place in her neighborhood?

3. What does Mrs. Stevenson say about her maid?

4. How does the call end with the Western Union messenger?

5. What does Mrs. Stevenson say to the Chief Operator right before she hangs up in Act I, Part 3?

6. What does Duffy say about murders in the city?

7. What does Mrs. Stevenson say and do after the operator tells her that she cannot put through the calls that Mrs. Stevenson missed?

8. What does Mrs. Stevenson say when the phone rings again after she has been speaking with the Third Operator?

9. At the beginning of Act I, Part 4, what does Mrs. Stevenson say and do after getting a busy signal on her husband's number again?

10. After speaking with Western Union, what sound can be heard outside and what does Mrs. Stevenson do?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The play was written in 1943. The plot of play is dependent upon how telephone calls were made in that time period. What elements of the play might be difficult for readers to understand? What elements are universal to all time periods? How does the fact that the play was written in 1943 affect readers and their understanding of the play?

Essay Topic 2

Mrs. Stevenson is the most developed character in the play. How do readers learn about the type of woman Mrs. Stevenson is? How is her character developed? What is learned about her character and the type of person she is?

Essay Topic 3

At first, Mrs. Stevenson is just concerned that someone is going to be murdered. What conversation does Mrs. Stevenson have that puts the idea in her head that she might be the intended victim? Has that thought crossed her mind before? What type of reasoning does Mrs Stevenson use to determine that she is going to be the victim?

(see the answer keys)

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