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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 has Nina taught to take care of her father while she's gone?

2. What does Abbie refer to the woman as that Eben is going to see, in Part 2 of Desire Under the Elms?

3. Who is remarked to be a good dancer, in Part 3 of Desire Under the Elms?

4. How much money does Eben give to Simeon and Peter in Desire Under the Elms?

5. What has Nina named her baby?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What does Darrell tell Marsden about Nina's behavior at the hospital in Strange Interlude?

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

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

5. What news does Eben return to the farmhouse to inform his brothers of, in Part 1 of Desire Under the Elms? What is the brothers' reaction?

6. How does Eben's position in the household contribute to his conflicts over the estate in Desire Under the Elms?

7. In Part 2 of Desire Under the Elms, how does Abbie attempt to rectify her relationship with Eben? Who does she refer to with disdain?

8. Describe the "character" of Minnie in Desire Under the Elms. What is she representative of?

9. How does Nina feel about her family in Act 7 of Strange Interlude? How does she feel about her life and about Darrell?

10. What does Abbie confess to Eben in Part 3 in Desire Under the Elms? What is his reaction?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare the themes of Desire Under the Elms to those of Strange Interlude. What themes exist in both plays? How do they differ thematically?

Essay Topic 2

Compare the characters of Ezra and Brant in the Mourning Becomes Electra trilogy. Who are these characters representative of in the Oresteia? How are they different than the source material?

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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