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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 of the week does the play's narrative begin?

2. What action does the Student take just after the Girl enters the house?

3. In the central foreground of Act I is a green object of what type?

4. Which character returns the Girl's piece of jewelry after she drops it out of the window?

5. The Old Man asks the Student to reserve seats for what type of performance?

Short Essay Questions

1. What paradoxical statement does Johansson make about the link between the Old Man and trust?

2. Which character in the play is characterized as having been born on a Sunday and why is this detail significant?

3. What does the Old Man ask of the Student in lieu of the money he claims the Student's father still owes him?

4. What explanation does the Student eventually give to the Milkmaid about his disheveled appearance?

5. What is demonstrated about the Student's character within his response to the Old Man's accusations against the Student's father?

6. In what way does Strindberg use physicality to illustrate the tyranny present within the Old Man's character?

7. How does the Old Man first come into contact with the Student in Act I?

8. What is the first indication of menace within the Old Man's interactions with the Student?

9. How does the Student respond to the Old Man's claims about the supposed transgressions committed by the Student's father?

10. What information does the Student learn about the Old Man's treatment of the powerful during his conversation with Johansson?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How is the theme of desire portrayed in The Ghost Sonata? Examine Strindberg's treatment of and messages regarding desire throughout the play.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the instances of irony within the narrative of The Ghost Sonata and analyze Strindberg’s purpose for including each instance you discuss.

Essay Topic 3

Examine the role of the Old Man within The Ghost Sonata. How does Strindberg use the the old man’s role to highlight themes included within the overall narrative?

(see the answer keys)

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