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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. Who tells Chris that she bets he is proud of his mother Cynthia for her recent promotion?

3. Who is celebrating a birthday in the bar when Cynthia arrives late and apologizes?

4. When Chris and Jason are watching the Olympics in the bar, what sport does Jason say is not a sport?

5. In the summer of 2000, what does the news report at the start of Act 1, Scene 7 say is happening to the violent crime rates in Reading, Pennsylvania?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What does Cynthia mean when she compares her new management job at Olstead's to looking at a map?

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

4. How does the playwright demonstrate through Brucie's struggle that people in town look out for one another?

5. How is the danger of nostalgia portrayed in Tracey's long story about her grandfather while she is standing outside of the bar with Oscar?

6. What is significant about Brucie giving Chris back his $10 once he hears of the trouble at the factory?

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

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

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Examine the effects of stress on the play's characters and the coping methods each character uses to deal with emotional turmoil. Which characters' methods are effective, which are ineffective, and how do these varying levels of efficiency affect the messages sent by the play?

Essay Topic 2

What messages is Lynn Nottage sending about racial tensions in America in the play Sweat?

Essay Topic 3

Examine the play's messages regarding nostalgia and the dangers inherent in the emotion.

(see the answer keys)

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