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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 1925 film does Jean rush in to watch on television in Act 2?

2. How does Barbara describe her daughter when talking to Sheriff Gilbeau in Act 3, Scene 4?

3. In what kind of car does Violet say Beverly lived from the ages of four until ten?

4. When does Violet say she called the motel where Beverly was staying before his death?

5. What does Steve claim he was doing when he was Jean's age in Act 2?

Short Essay Questions

1. How would you describe Mattie Fae Aiken's character?

2. What secret does Mattie Fae reveal to Barbara in Act 3, Scene 1?

3. How does irony come into play in the final moments of Act 3, Scene 5?

4. What is the significance of the house's temperature in Act 2?

5. What is revealed of Mattie Fae's character in Act 3, Scene 1?

6. What happens when Barbara and Violet are left alone together in Act 3, Scene 1?

7. What is the predominant theme in Act 3, Scene 1?

8. What triggers the conflict between Barbara and Violet in Act 2?

9. How would you describe the character of Steve when he is introduced in Act 2?

10. How has Barbara's character evolved in Act 3, Scene 2?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the theme of breaking free in August: Osage County. What characters in the play attempt to break free from their families and/or pasts? Are they successful? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

Describe the Weston home in August: Osage County. How large is the house? How are the various rooms described in the play's stage directions? How does the house and its appearance reflect upon the lives of its inhabitants?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the significance of the safety deposit box in August: Osage County. How does the safety deposit box tie into the major plot of the narrative? What does the safety deposit box represent symbolically or metaphorically? How does the safety deposit box relate to the themes of the play?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 798 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample