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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 kind of a time are the three main characters of the play having towards the end of Act 1, Scene 2?

2. What does Nettie tell John after she gets the aspirin?

3. What does John say to Nettie as the third scene is ending?

4. How does John comment on Nettie's dress in Act 1, Scene 3?

5. What type of friends are John and Timmy talking about in the second scene of the play?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does John's mood in the beginning of Act 2, Scene 2 compare to earlier scenes?

2. What decision has Timmy made in regard to where he will live?

3. What decision does Timmy make at the end of the last scene, and how does his father surprise him?

4. What symbolic act does Nettie make with the roses at the end of Act 1, Scene 3?

5. How do Timmy and John's actions when Nettie enters the apartment in Act 1, Scene 2 illustrate her place in the family?

6. What are Timmy and John doing in the beginning of Act 1, Scene 3, and how does Nettie respond?

7. What do Timmy and John do when Nettie enters the room in the fourth scene of Act 2, and how does she respond?

8. What happened to Timmy the night before, and how does that lead to Nettie's criticism of John in Act 1, Scene 1?

9. What does Timmy tell Nettie about the way he viewed the family before he left for the army, and after he returned?

10. What does the ending of "The Subject was Roses" lead the reader to believe might happen?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Timmy's dream is the catalyst for his reconnection with John.

1) Describe the dream in detail. Explain what the most important aspects of it were and how they affected the story.

2) Analyze the effects that the dream had on Timmy and why.

3) Explain the results of the dream and how it managed to cause Timmy and John to face their feelings. Why was that the major factor in their reconnection?

Essay Topic 2

Describe the two times in the play that Timmy misrepresents the truth with his parents. Analyze each circumstance, his motives, and whether or not you agree with them.

Essay Topic 3

The roses are the main symbol in the play.

1) Chronicle the roses and their role throughout the entire story, including what they symbolize at each stage.

2) Explain the multiple meanings that the roses take on as the play progresses.

3) Describe how the roses affect each character, which character they had the most impact on, and why.

(see the answer keys)

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