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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. Why does A begin to cry in Act 1, Part 1?

2. How do B and C know that A is still alive?

3. What expression does A use that B laughs at?

4. C tells B that she is not good at what?

5. What does A talk about at the end of Act 1, Part 3?

Short Essay Questions

1. According to the argument A, B, and C have in Act 2, Part 2, why do people cheat?

2. What does B mean when she says that they were with one man for forty years, "more or less"?

3. What was the difference between the way A and Sis reacted to their father's death and the way their mother reacted?

4. What does A say about her reconciliation with her son in Act 2, Part 3?

5. According to B, how did her affair with the groom end?

6. What happened during the bracelet incident?

7. What does C represent?

8. Who are the three main characters?

9. What does A say about her personal strength, in Act 1, Part 4?

10. What happens at the end of Act 2, Part 2?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Fear of death and making peace with that fear is an important theme in the play. What is C's attitude toward death? What about B's? How does A feel about death? How does her attitude differ from B's and C's? What changes have enabled A to come to terms with her fear of death? Be sure to cite specific examples from the text to support your thesis.

Essay Topic 2

The bracelet story is a turning point in A's life, as well as in the play's plot. How did the bracelet incident change A's life? How did it change her marriage? What long-lasting effects did it have on A's character? How did it affect her emotionally? Be sure to cite specific examples from the text to support your thesis.

Essay Topic 3

A and her son had a falling-out, which was a result of many things that happened between them. How did her son's sexuality influence A's relationship with him? How did it affect their relationship when the son confronted A with his knowledge of her affair? Why? What other factors affected their relationship? What enabled them to reconcile? Was it a true reconciliation? Why or why not? Be sure to cite specific examples from the text to support your thesis.

(see the answer keys)

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