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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. What is Ironic about Alice's refusal?

2. Why does Ed ask Rheba about the dinner menu?

3. Why does Alice feel she has to refuse this?

4. Why does Donald arrive with flies?

5. Who passes Mr. Henderson in the hall?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does this scenario about Alice's love for her unique family mirror?

2. How might Alice feel after she and Tony part for the night?

3. How does Penny try to ease tension? Why does this not work?

4. Why does Mr. Henderson appear? How might the audience react to the arrival of this character?

5. How does the scene become more confusing? How would this add more stress to Alice's already stressed-out life?

6. Describe the dinner. How does this begin to heal the wounds of the night before?

7. What does Alice declare to her father? Why does she say this?

8. What is the outcome of Grandpa's tax evasion? What might be the response of audience members?

9. What is realized about both families? How might this affect Alice and Tony's relationship?

10. How does Tony disagree with Alice? Why is he able to accept her family?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The title of the play is significant.

Part 1) To what does "You Can't Take It With You" refer?

Part 2) Whose philosophy is this? What message are the playwrights trying to get across to the audience members?

Part 3) Why would this philosophy be important to the audience when the play opened in 1936? How is it significant today?

Essay Topic 2

Essie and Penny are interested in the arts.

Part 1) What art form does Essie study? In what art forms does Penny participate?

Part 2) Describe these two characters' artistic endeavors. Are they very successful? Do they take themselves and their art seriously? Do others take them seriously? Use the text to support your response.

Part 3) Why do the playwrights have the arts as an important aspect of this play? What message are they trying to convey to the audience?

Essay Topic 3

The play takes place in Grandpa Vanderhof's livingroom.

Part 1) How does the play open?

Part 2) How does the audience or reader learn about each character? Is this an effective introduction to each character? Why or why not?

Part 3) Why might the playwrights have introduced them in this way?

(see the answer keys)

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