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This test consists of 5 short answer questions and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who raised Elizabeth?

2. Who suggests that everyone should go downstairs to dinner?

3. What is the relationship between Elizabeth and Adelaide?

4. Who calls Claire unnatural?

5. Who calls to Tom for help through the tower window?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Given Claire's disdain for traditional womanly roles such as being a good wife, a loving mother, or a proper hostess, what values might she admire in a woman and aspire to for herself? How do these values uphold the general tone of the play in which Claire's unrest represents the struggles of women in the early days of the Women's Movement?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the symbolism of heat in this play as it relates to love, comfort, and survival. Why is it significant that Claire diverts the heat from her family home to the greenhouse? Why is it significant that a snowstorm rages outdoors, visible through the greenhouse windows?

Essay Topic 3

How are light and sound used to forward the plot and atmosphere of "The Verge"?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 201 words (approx. 1 page at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample