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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. Who does everyone say Nina's baby resembles?

2. How old is Abbie's son, in Part 3 of Desire Under the Elms?

3. What do Peter and Simeon taunt Ephraim with when he enters, in Desire Under the Elms?

4. How long has the father in Desire Under the Elms been gone in the beginning of the play?

5. Who talked Gordon out of the marriage before the war in Strange Interlude?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Nina say she's going away in Act 1 of Strange Interlude?

2. What does the argument over the estate devolve to between the brothers in Part 1 of Desire Under the Elms?

3. What do Marsden's thoughts reveal about Gordon in Act 4 of Strange Interlude? Why did he suggest that Nina write a biography about him?

4. What happens in the falling action and resolution of Desire Under the Elms?

5. How does Gordon feel about Darrell in Act 7 of Strange Interlude? How does he respond to Darrell's comments about Evans?

6. What does Nina tease Marsden about in Act 6 of Strange Interlude that makes him angry? How does he react?

7. What do Abbie and Eben say to one another alone in the beginning of Part 3 in Desire Under the Elms?

8. Where do the conflicts arise between the family in Desire Under the Elms? How do the characters' objectives lead to the essential conflict?

9. How does Darrell feel toward Evans in Act 5 of Strange Interlude? What does he plan to do at the end of the act?

10. Describe the thematic elements which are shared by Desire Under the Elms and the other plays in the collection.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss how the setting of each of the three plays affects the action and the characters. How are the settings different in the plays? What correlates to each? Discuss era and historical period in your answer as well as location.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the innovations which O'Neill introduced to the theater in each of these plays. Why did the police attempt to shut down O'Neill's works in New York? What is risque about these plays for their time?

Essay Topic 3

Describe the plot arc of the play, Desire Under the Elms. Who is the protagonist of this play, and in what ways do the events revolve around this character? Define Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, and Resolution in your answer.

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