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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 does Mrs. Muller tell Sister Aloysius Donald has at St. Nicholas?

2. What does Sister Aloysius tell Sister James maybe they are not supposed to do?

3. How does Mrs. Muller say Donald was punished for being taken off the altar boys?

4. In Scene 7, what does Father Flynn compare Sister Aloysius to?

5. What does Mrs. Muller tell Sister Aloysius the world is?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Father Flynn seem to be most worried about if Sister Aloysius makes her accusations against him public?

2. In Scene 8, why does Mrs. Muller think she may have come to Sister Aloysius' office on the wrong day?

3. In Scene 9, why is Sister Aloysius glad that Sister James went to see her family?

4. In Scene 9, what does Sister James tell Sister Aloysius she thinks of Father Flynn?

5. What is strange about Father O'Rourke's reaction to the gossipy woman's confession in Father Flynn's sermon?

6. When Father Flynn comes to Sister Aloysius' office in the second part of Scene 8, why does she tell him he can't come in?

7. What does Father Flynn say is wrong about Sister Aloysius contacting his prior parish?

8. How is the sermon Father Flynn preaches in Scene 6 symbolic?

9. What does Mrs. Muller say is the real reason Mr. Muller beat Donald?

10. What does Father Flynn say Sister Aloysius is holding the school and parish back from?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Why does the author use the narrative technique of parables more than once in the play? What purpose does this repetition serve? Why is the play itself a parable? What characteristics of a parable does it have and what is the intended lesson?

Essay Topic 2

Sister Aloysius is both the protagonist and antagonist of the play. Write an essay discussing how she fits both of these roles. Provide examples from the play.

Essay Topic 3

Several times throughout the play we see characters performing typical daily routines, such as pruning a rosebush, listening to the radio, or talking to a basketball team. Yet not a word in this play is wasted. Each action is meant to reveal something about the characters. Write and essay examining two routine actions seen in the play and discuss what they reveal about the character performing them.

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