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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 do the family members think of Tony?

2. What occurs in the basement?

3. From where does Penny's daughter arrive?

4. What does Grandpa enjoy doing?

5. Why is Mr. Henderson at the house?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. Why is Ed feeling uncertain about his work? What might this foreshadow?

3. How has this family become so quirky and unusual?

4. How does this scene open? How does this continue to reflect the Sycamore family's quirkiness?

5. How does the play open? What does the audience member and reader learn about the family from the set?

6. What is ironic about Alice?

7. What does the doorbell announce? What might the audience members be thinking, before it is discovered who has rung the doorbell?

8. What does Alice say to Tony, regarding their relationship? Why does she say this? What assumptions is she making?

9. What has this embarrassing incident done to Alice? How would you feel, if you were Alice?

10. Describe Grandpa Vanderhof. From where is he returning? What does he enjoy about this activity?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Paul and Mr. DePinna spend a lot of time in the basement.

Part 1) Why are they in the basement?

Part 2) How does this affect the rest of the household and guests?

Part 3) How does this get them and the rest of the household into trouble?

Part 4) Why might the playwrights have created these characters? What or who do they represent in American society?

Essay Topic 2

Alice and Tony meet at work.

Part 1) What is Tony's job? What is Alice's job? How does this make them compatible?

Part 2) Ironically, how does Alice's career make her odd, compared to the rest of her family?

Part 3) What draws Tony to Alice's family and vice versa? What are they lacking in their own lives that makes them fond of each other's families?

Essay Topic 3

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?

(see the answer keys)

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