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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 do both Mother Lovejoy and Sister honestly think of the state of Philip and Mollie's turbulent relationship during Act 1?

2. What kind of relationship does Philip have with the writing profession?

3. How did Paris feel while his father was away?

4. Who is Mother Lovejoy placing the onus of saving Philip upon?

5. What does Philip believe his artistic brilliance to be?

Short Essay Questions

1. What do Mother Lovejoy and Sister subtlety attempt to sway Mollie into doing?

2. What does Mother Lovejoy want Mollie to do and how does she want Mollie to act regarding her relationship with Philip?

3. Describe how Philip looks when he is talking to Paris about leaving?

4. What has happened to Philip and his career as a writer?

5. How does Paris react to Hattie's mention of the word "suicide" in the same sentence as his father's name?

6. What is Paris's reaction to the fact that his mother picked up a stranger off the side of the road and that John has fallen for her?

7. Who is Sister and what does she do?

8. What becomes clear to be the main reason Philip wants to take Paris with him?

9. Describe the background of Philip Lovejoy.

10. What is Paris's reaction to his father's idea of leaving?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What is the crisis of The Square Root of Wonderful? Describe the moment when the conflict reaches a turning point and the opposing forces in the story meet. This is the time when the conflict becomes the most intense. Use specific scenes from the play and be sure to point out specific characters and dialogue.

Essay Topic 2

Compare and Contrast the roles of Sister and Mother Lovejoy. In which ways are the ladies alike in their thinking regarding Philip? In which ways are they different? Is one woman more of an enabler than the other? Explain your answer and use evidence from the text.

Essay Topic 3

What are the implications of the falling action and resolution (or denouement ) of the play? How has the character of Mollie changed? How has the Lovejoy family accepted changed into their life? In what ways was the resolution inevitable?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 659 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample