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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. To what store does Jack tell Eugene to go for ice cream in Act II?

2. Before he leaves in Act II, Stanley tells Eugene, “If you ever write a story about me, call me” what?

3. How much money does Kate say she’s going to get from Stanley for Blanche to take with her on her date in Act II?

4. Stanley has been fired from his job for doing what?

5. When Kate and Blanche begin arguing in Act II, Kate says “I was the workhorse and you were the” what?

Short Essay Questions

1. What causes the initial conflict between Kate and Blanche in Act II?

2. Why does Stanley decide to leave home in Act II? What does he ask Eugene for before he goes?

3. How effective was Neil Simon in integrating drama and comedy in his writing of Brighton Beach Memoirs?

4. What have been perceived as the weaknesses of the narrator in Brighton Beach Memoirs?

5. How much time passes between the end of Act I and the opening of Act II? How has the household changed?

6. How does Kate respond when Stanley confesses the truth about his salary in Act II?

7. How does the relationship between Blanche and Kate evolve through the narrative?

8. What do Jack and Stanley discuss after Stanley’s return home in Act II?

9. Where was Brighton Beach Memoirs first produced? When did it premiere on Broadway?

10. What other plays are connected in the trilogy that includes Brighton Beach Memoirs?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze and discuss the character of Jack Jerome. How old is Jack? Where does he work? How is his demeanor described when he first appears in Act I? How does Jack change through the story?

Essay Topic 2

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?

Essay Topic 3

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?

(see the answer keys)

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