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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. Why does Alice love Tony?

2. Why does Rheba enter the room?

3. What does Tony remind Alice?

4. How does Alice feel about her family?

5. What is Ironic about Alice's refusal?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. What do these strangers uncover? To what does this lead?

4. What does Penny comment about Alice? Why? Why might Alice be attracted to this type of man?

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

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

7. How does the second act open? What new character does the audience meet? How does she add to the comedic aspect of the play?

8. How are the characters introduced? Why might the playwright use this technique to present the personalities and quirkiness of these characters to the audience or reader?

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

10. Why is the Grand Duchess at the Sycamore's home? How can the audience members relate to this?

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

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 entire family is arrested.

Part 1) Why? What takes place during their jail time?

Part 2) How does this arrest affect Alice? Does this arrest prove that Alice was right to believe her family could not be accepted in Tony's world? Why or why not?

Part 3) Will the Sycamores and Kirbys be able to move past this incident and become one cohesive family? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

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