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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 does Tony mention about his family?

2. What is this person's name?

3. What does Tony remind Alice?

4. What scares Mr. Henderson out of the apartment without another word?

5. How is the apartment as Alice and Tony return from their date?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. What does Alice's father do when she comes into the room? Why does he do this?

4. How does the family respond to this crisis? How does this prolong the hilarity of this scene for the audience?

5. What happens when the doorbell rings? How does this add to the comedic feeling of the play?

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

7. How does Grandpa challenge Mr. Henderson? How does Mr. Henderson handle this? With whom is the audience more likely to side, Grandpa or Mr. Henderson? Why?

8. What are Paul and Grandpa doing in this scene? How is this activity different from what has been displayed in past scenes?

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

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 play is written in 1936.

Part 1) What is significant about this time period in United States' history?

Part 2) How does this play relate to this time period and audiences of 1936?

Part 3) Describe American life in 1936, based on the families in this play.

Essay Topic 2

Ed is followed by a strange man.

Part 1) Who is this man? Why is he following Ed?

Part 2) How could audience members at the time this play is written relate to this?

Part 3) What role does this man play in the chaos and humiliation of the Kirbys towards the end of the play?

Essay Topic 3

The Vanderhof/Sycamore family is very unique.

Part 1) How are they unique?

Part 2) Why do Alice and Tony love them? Why are they such an endearing family?

Part 3) Why might the playwrights have chosen such odd characters for this play? Use the text to support your response.

(see the answer keys)

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