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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 is Peggy's reaction to the missing money in Act 2, Part 2?

2. What does Burns say he will help Mrs. Schlosser with in Act 1, Part 2?

3. Who tells the sheriff that Hildy has quit the paper in Act 1, Part 4?

4. What pace does the play set during Act 1, Part 1, particularly where the dialogue is concerned?

5. Why does the conversation between the woman and McCue end in Act 1, Part 1?

Short Essay Questions

1. Choose one reporter's account of the escape as an example and describe how it was relayed in Act 2, Part 1?

2. Who is waiting for Hildy at the end of Act 2, Part 1, and what decision does he now have to make as a result of his actions?

3. What is the one thing Burns says that gets Hildy to write the story in Act 2, Part 5, and what does it say about Hildy's character?

4. Who is Mrs. Schlosser, what rule does she break in Act 1, Part 2, and what does it say about the reporters in general?

5. What joke does Hildy have at McCue's expense when the two cross paths in Act 2, Part 1?

6. How does Burns unintentionally reveal where Williams is hiding in Act 3, Part 2?

7. How does Burns deal with Bensinger in Act 3, Part 1, and what parallel can be drawn between that and another character in the book?

8. What theory does Woodenshoes have about Williams in the beginning of Act 2, Part 1?

9. How does the final scene between Peggy, Hildy, and Burns tie in with the theme of the entire play, in particular, how it relates to Hildy's decision?

10. What is interesting about the way both the mayor and the sheriff respond to what the messenger does in Act 3, Part 3?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Burns and the mayor show many similar character traits as the story unfolds. Describe these similarities and what they mean for both characters. In particular, what does it represent for Burns in an ironic, or even hypocritical sense? Be sure to use the play to provide specific examples.

Essay Topic 2

The playwrights of The Front Page use the "layering of facts" technique throughout the play. Describe three examples of this technique in detail, explaining how it is used in each case, why the authors may have used it, and how effective it was.

Essay Topic 3

Hildy and Burns are two characters that conflict with each other, yet seem to find common ground throughout the play. Chronicle their interaction, using examples to highlight the major differences between the two characters, and any similarities. How does Burns, in a way, help Hildy make his decision at the end of the play?

(see the answer keys)

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