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 is the setting of Scene 3?

2. Who is the "top man" behind workers?

3. What does Joe mean when he refers to "black and blue boys?"

4. How do workers become committee members?

5. What is the role of the character chewing on a toothpick?

Short Essay Questions

1. What are some reasons that Odets puts figurative language into Agate's dialogue?

2. What are some of Joe's explanations for not making enough money to support his family?

3. How does Joe explain his change in attitude about the need to strike?

4. How does Clayton connect to the workers?

5. How does Joe feel about his responsibilities as the man of the family?

6. How has Sid's economic situation affected his self-esteem?

7. What makes Scene 4 romantic?

8. What is Miller's response to the job change?

9. What is the benefit of having a speaker with experience with a strike talk to the workers?

10. What does Fayette's dialogue in which he uses the words "pollacks and niggers" say about his prejudice?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Several characters in the play mention Hollywood or the movies. In what ways do1930s Hollywood influence the characters and their lives? What other media is stressed as important and why?

Essay Topic 2

At the heart of the U.S. economy is a capitalist system which guarantees and rewards individuals and companies for the profits they make from business transactions. How well does this system work in the play? Should one aspire to wealth at any cost? Does a capitalist system necessarily require equal or fair treatment of workers? What checks and balances should exist to assure fair treatment if deemed necessary? What do capitalists like Fatt and his bosses win and lose in the 1930s.

Essay Topic 3

How is the language of Agate and Fatt similar or different when they attempt to persuade workers? Which approach is most effective? Less successful? Why?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 764 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample