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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. When Cynthia asks Tracey where she heard that Olstead would be engaging in lay-offs, where does Tracey say she heard the news?

2. When Jason comes to see Tracey after he is released from prison, what does he say had taken a lot of nerve on his part?

3. Why has Cynthia had to move to a different residence during the time Chris has been in prison?

4. What advice does Cynthia offer to Jessie and Tracey regarding the contract negotiations?

5. Cynthia tells Stan that when she had first started at Olstead's, she had felt like she had been invited into what kind of club?

Short Essay Questions

1. What emotion does Cynthia express to Chris that she has been feeling since his incarceration?

2. What does Cynthia say is the reason she has not seen Tracey and Jessie as often as she used to before the labor dispute?

3. Describe the difference between Jessie's reaction to Cynthia's promotion and Tracey's reaction to Cynthia's promotion?

4. What reasons does Cynthia use to back up her assertion that the workers should take the concessions that will be offered by Olstead's, even if they are harsh?

5. What evidence is there that Tracey did not visit Jason while he was incarcerated and how does this fact contrast with Cynthia's actions?

6. How is overlapping dialogue used to indicate closeness between characters at Jessie's birthday party?

7. What is Cynthia's response to Tracey's accusation that the bosses have probably sent Cynthia to the bar?

8. What reasons does Brucie give Chris when he gives him the advice to take the small concessions offered by Olstead's?

9. What does Chris's habitual asking of which beers the bar has on tap reveal about his character and worldview?

10. How does the mood of Jessie's birthday party change when Tracey arrives?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

At the end of the play, the last set of stage directions reads, "There's apology in their eyes, but Chris and Jason are unable to conjure words just yet. The four men, uneasy in their bodies, await the next moment in a fractured togetherness" (112). How does this final set of stage directions connect to the themes inherent in the play?

Essay Topic 2

The playwright begins the play with an excerpt from a Langston Hughes poem. Explain how this poem excerpt relates to the play and how it reflects the play's themes.

Essay Topic 3

All of the characters in this play have specific yet varied relationships with money. Examine the theme of money in this play and how it affects the various characters.

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This section contains 1,297 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample