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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 Nina ask to come upstairs and help her pack, in Act 1 of Strange Interlude?

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

3. Who says, "All the other women in the world aren't worth your little finger" in Strange Interlude?

4. Why does Leeds say he hated Gordon?

5. In what state is Ephraim, in the beginning of Part 3 of Desire Under the Elms?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who is Eben said to resemble in Desire Under the Elms?

2. What does Nina reveal in reading aloud her letter in Act 3 of Strange Interlude?

3. The morning after their "tryst," how do Abbie and Eben feel in Desire Under the Elms? How does Ephraim feel?

4. 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?

5. What does Ephraim say to Eben in Part 3 of Desire Under the Elms that causes Eben to lash out at Abbie?

6. What is the symbolic statement behind Abbie and Eben's entrance into the parlor in Part 2 in Desire Under the Elms?

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

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

9. How does Evans know Darrell in Strange Interlude? How does he feel about him?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the theme of Incest and Family Secrets in the Mourning Becomes Electra trilogy. Within which characters is this theme manifested? What actions are representative of the theme?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the style and use of soliloquy in Strange Interlude. How is this play stylistically different than the others in the collection?

Essay Topic 3

Compare the characters of Ephraim and Eben in Desire Under the Elms. How are these men alike? How are they different? What actions does each commit through the play?

(see the answer keys)

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