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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 does the Man say scares him?

2. What reason does the Woman give the Man to stop his chore in Scene 3?

3. What does the Man notice the Woman is staring at in Scene 3?

4. When the Woman is preparing something to eat for the Man, what does the Man do?

5. What does the Man make a joke about in Scene 3?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the significance of what the Man takes out of his pocket in the sixth scene?

2. What disturbs the Man as he is getting ready to go to sleep in the first scene, and how does he react?

3. How does the Man feel about the Woman's taking away his sword?

4. How does the Scene 8 conclude?

5. What does the Woman tell the Man she creates?

6. What does the Woman persuade the Man to do at the end of the second scene?

7. What does the Man tell the Woman about her music in Scene 5?

8. What does the Woman tell the Man to do at the end of the third scene, and what does she do to the man?

9. What does the Man reveal to the Woman about his true purpose in visiting her?

10. What does the Woman's taking of the Man's sword symbolize in the play?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The play has only two characters, the Man and the Woman. Each of these characters represents good and bad things to one another. Using supporting examples, respond to the following:

1) Is there a clearly defined protagonist or antagonist in "The Sound of a Voice"? Why or why not?

2) What substitutes for the protagonist and antagonist in the play?

3) What is the author's purpose in writing the plot without an obviously laid out hero and villain?

Essay Topic 2

The use of symbolism throughout "The Sound of a Voice" has significant impact on the understanding of the plot. Using supporting examples, answer the following questions:

1) What objects provide significant symbolism throughout the play? What do these things represent?

2) What are some less significant sources of symbolism that enrich the play and the audience's understanding of the events?

Essay Topic 3

Loneliness is a central theme in "The Sound of a Voice." The Man and the Woman both struggle to break free from being alone throughout the play. Please respond with supporting examples to the following:

1) What lifestyles do the Man and the Woman have that lead them to be lonely?

2) What ways has the Woman learned to cope with being lonely? How do her ways affect the way the Man views her?

3) Do the characters learn to alleviate each other's loneliness successfully? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

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