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This test consists of 5 short answer questions and 1 (of 3) essay topics.
Short Answer Questions
1. At a meeting of Russian emigres in Zurich, though what country do the Russians discuss passing to return to their homeland?
2. On what day is the Zurich Library closed?
3. What is the first thing that Carr does when he meets Tzara in this section?
4. What is the name of the man in whose house Lenin stay in Zurich?
5. Whose poetry does Tzara attempt the dismember for Gwendolen in this section?
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
Write an essay about the character of Bennett. He is far an away the most cultivated and best-informed person in the play, but he is a manservant. Stoppard, in his cast notes, says that he should be "quite a weighty presence" (vii). What is Bennett's function int he script at the beginning of the play? How does Carr's leaving him in charge of the consulate affect Lenin's situation? What new revelations about his character are revealed in the final moments of the play?
Essay Topic 2
As the Revolution in St. Petersburg heats up and the Zimmerwaldists of Switzerland begin to plan their return to Russia, the characters of the play begin to debate how the scenarios delineated by Marx can be realized in the world. Write an essay charting these debates, focusing on Bennett's explanation of Marxism and Cecily's debate with Carr regarding its legitimacy. How does the Russian Revolution conform to the path dictated by Marx? What short cuts are being taken? What is Lenin's importance in the process, according to the theory?
Essay Topic 3
The women of Travesties serve an interesting purpose in the play. They almost serve as counter-balances to the men that court them, elucidating the underpinnings of their beliefs and the truth of their assertions. Write an essay about the women in the play in three parts:
Part 1) Examine the courtship between Gwen and Tzara. How does she challenge him to defend his Dada poetry in a way no one else does? How does he prove the worth of his art in this sequence?
Part 2) Nadya narrates much of the second act of the play. What new information regarding Lenin's attitude toward art does she provide? How does this create a more vibrant portrait of the revolutionary politician?
Part 3) Throughout the play, Henry Carr's assertions seem more than a little suspect. What new information does Old Cecily provide at the end of the play? Does she seem a more reliable narrator than Carr?
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This section contains 434 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) |
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