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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. Blanche asks Kate in Act II if she remembers how their mother cried when who left home?

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

3. How long has the doctor told Jack Jerome to stay home and rest in the beginning of Act II?

4. Eugene asks the audience in Act II, “How am I going to become a writer if I don’t know how to” what?

5. Of whom does Jack say in Act II, “That child is pampered too much”?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why do Jack and Kate Jerome argue in the beginning of Act II?

2. What criticisms did Neil Simon receive for the original production of Brighton Beach Memoirs?

3. What news does Stanley relate to Eugene in their room in the beginning of Act II?

4. What gift does Stanley give to Eugene in Act II? What is Eugene’s response?

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

6. How is Brighton Beach Memoirs metaphorical for the onset of World War II?

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

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

9. What autobiographical elements can be seen in Brighton Beach Memoirs?

10. How did critics respond to the original production of Brighton Beach Memoirs? How does the play fit in with Neil Simon’s body of works?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Examine the Jerome/Morton household as a metaphor for the global events of the late 1930s. How do the actions, events, and objectives in the story relate to the bigger events faced by the nation? What elements of symbolism apply to this metaphor?

Essay Topic 2

Analyze and discuss the character of Eugene Jerome in Brighton Beach Memoirs. How old is Eugene? What are his aspirations? What are his relationships like within his household and family? How does Eugene change in the story?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the character of Laurie Morton as though you were casting a production of Brighton Beach Memoirs. What actresses in entertainment today would you consider to play this role? Why? How would you like to see the character costumed?

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