View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What nationality is Nick?

2. What is the Arab's stock reply to almost everything?

3. Who buys all the papers the newsboy has?

4. Which one of Nick's family members comes into the bar and delights Nick with his/her presence?

5. What does Joe make Tom do while the music plays?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the author show Kitty's distress through her body language?

2. On what topic does Tom uncharacteristically challenge Joe?

3. How is Nick described in Act 1?

4. How does Tom behave when he discovers Kitty is a prostitute?

5. What does Krupp think people want in their lives?

6. What does Joe want Tom to do with the gun?

7. How is Dudley described in Act 1?

8. Why is the appearance of Nick's daughter such an emotional experience for him?

9. What is the Lady's reactions to Joe's behavior?

10. What role do music and creativity play in the drama?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe the overall setting for the play. Why does Saroyan use the setting he does? What is the time period of the story? How important is the time period to the attitudes and issues of the characters?

Essay Topic 2

Alcohol seems to be an unnamed character in the book. How pervasive is the abuse? Why does it have such a prevalent place in the characters' lives? How does it affect the abusers? How does it affect those impacted by the abusers? Explain how an inanimate object or characteristic can be a character.

Essay Topic 3

Create a brief character study on Nick. What does he look like? What are his positive personality traits? What are some of his negative characteristics? What are his hopes and fears? What motivates him--if anything--at this point in his life?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,032 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample