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

Short Answer Questions

1. What color was the son's hair when he was born?

2. According to Martha, what does weakness cry out against?

3. How does George refer to his female protagonist in his "second novel?"

4. Which composer does George put on as dance music?

5. What does George do during his game that offends Nick?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Repetition of phrases is a central component of Albee's writing. Write an essay about the purpose of this repetition. Defend your position with paragraphs about the following repeated phrases:

Part 1) Snap

Part 2)Truth and Illusion

Part 3) She's slim-hipped

Essay Topic 2

Several of the characters have nervous habits: Martha chews ice, Honey peels labels, etc. Write an essay on the significance of these nervous tick to the action of the play. What do they say about the character and about the themes of the work?

Essay Topic 3

The past is an ambiguous thing in Albee's play. It is never entirely concrete and often changes depending on the speaker. Write a paragraph about each of the following stories told by a character about the past. How does the story change with each telling? Is the story true in any way?

Part 1) The story of Nick and Honey's courtship

Part 2) The story of George's tragic schoolfriend

Part 3) The story of George and Martha's son's childhood

(see the answer keys)

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