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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. How old was Jessie when she first started working at Olstead's?

2. When Cynthia apologizes to Chris for not visiting him in prison as of late, for how long does she say she went without a visit to see him?

3. What nationality is Tracey's grandfather?

4. 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?

5. What does Cynthia tell Tracey to do if she has a problem with Cynthia?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What kind of philosophy about life does Chris express when Cynthia starts to express her anger toward Jason for his role in Chris's incarceration?

3. What does Tracey mean when she says that Oscar does not know her during their conversation outside the bar?

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

5. After the factory lock-out, what hypothesis does Cynthia share with Stan about why she may have been hired in the first place?

6. What does Cynthia say is the only upside of the trouble at Olstead's during the labor dispute?

7. What is Cynthia's reaction to the distance Chris is trying to maintain between them upon his release from prison?

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

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

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

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

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

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the playwright's use of the two sets of character foils in the play: Chris and Jason, and Cynthia and Tracey. What purposes do these two sets of character foils serve in the play?

(see the answer keys)

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