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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. On what day does Nora say she’s going to audition for the Broadway musical in Act I?

2. Who is the Broadway producer that Nora says came to her dance class in Act I?

3. Kate tells her sister in Act I, “Remember what Momma used to tell us. Stay on your own side of the street. That’s what they have” what for?

4. What kind of bread does Eugene’s mother tell him to get at the store in Act I?

5. What school classes does Nora say aren’t “going to help me on the stage” in Act I?

Short Essay Questions

1. What news does Nora Morton relate to the family when she arrives home in Act I?

2. What information does Eugene give to the reader/audience regarding Blanche Morton in the beginning of Act I?

3. What is Eugene doing as the play opens in Act I? How is his neighborhood described?

4. What comprises the second floor of the Jerome house, according to the stage directions in Act I? How is the setting related to the themes in the play?

5. What conversation do Jack and Stanley have at bedtime in Act I?

6. What news does Stanley relate to Eugene in their room before dinner in Act I?

7. How does the historical context of the play relate to its themes?

8. Discuss the narrative style of Brighton Beach Memoirs. What purpose does the use of direct address serve in the play?

9. Why does Eugene’s mother call him inside in the beginning of Act I? What does Eugene relate about his ambitions in this scene?

10. What do Kate and Blanche discuss alone downstairs after dinner in Act I?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe and discuss playwright Neil Simon and the original production of Brighton Beach Memoirs. When was the play first produced and where? When did it move to Broadway? How long did it run before closing? How does this play compare with Simon’s other works?

Essay Topic 2

Analyze Blanche’s options for independence in the play. Why did Blanche and her children move in with the Jeromes after Dave’s death? What types of jobs are available to Blanche in this economy? What does Blanche hope will come of her date with Frank Murphy?

Essay Topic 3

Examine the theme of honesty versus dishonesty in the narrative. Why do you think Kate encourages Stanley to lie about having lost the money in a poker game? Would this suggestion be brought about under different circumstances? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

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