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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 do the doctors want to amputate A's arm?

2. What happened to A's husband's shoulder?

3. Who is sitting at the desk at the beginning of Act 1?

4. Why did Sis have to be forced into marriage?

5. What does A say about the boys she used to dance with?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why are A and B so impatient with C?

2. What happens as A dies?

3. What does A say about the best time of life?

4. What does A say about her friends in Act 1, Part 3?

5. What does B say about the best time of life?

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

7. Why does A cry after mentioning that she was taller than Sis in Act 1, Part 3?

8. How does B reassure a weeping A when she can't remember details in Act 1, Part 3?

9. What qualities did Sis have that made A jealous of her?

10. How does A describe her relationship with Sis in Act 1, Part 3?

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

A feels that her jewelry, and all it represented, was fake. C says that to her being given jewelry means that she is valued, and that is not at all fake. Why does C feel so differently from A? What happened to A to make her lose her love for jewelry? Be sure to cite specific examples from the text to support your thesis.

Essay Topic 3

A's disjointed memories serve several purposes throughout the play. How do they allow for exposition? Is this an effective method of exposition? Why or why not? How do these memories highlight A's mental deterioration as it parallels her physical deterioration? Be sure to cite specific examples from the text to support your thesis.

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