View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Estelle want from Garcin?

2. What item does Estelle ask the others for?

3. Who wants to take Estelle in his/her arms?

4. Who mocks Estelle by calling her "my crystal"?

5. Whom is Estelle watching down on Earth?

Short Essay Questions

1. How is Inez's volunteering to be the mirror for Estelle symbolic?

2. Why do you think that Inez would rather deal with hell face to face?

3. What does Garcin mean when he says that he can see where talking to each other will lead?

4. Why do you think that Inez tries to pull Garcin off Estelle?

5. Why does Inez describe Estelle's mouth as cruel?

6. Why did Garcin flee to Mexico, and what does it have to do with cowardice?

7. Why does Inez lie about Estelle's pimple?

8. Why is it significant that Garcin's colleagues have called him a coward?

9. Although both Inez and Garcin pressure Estelle into telling them why she is in the room, at the end of the section, why is Estelle only angry with Inez and not Garcin?

10. What is Inez guilty of?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Chose either Garcin, Estelle, or Inez and write a detailed character sketch, that includes not only information about their actions and feelings, but also about their use by the author to demonstrate ideas about guilt, denial, cowardice and cruelty. Use specific examples that demonstrate your ideas about their characterizations.

Essay Topic 2

Since Garcin was a pacifist whose weakness was a fear of being a coward, he is particularly concerned with what his colleagues at the newspaper thought of him. Describe how Garcin's pacifism affects his behavior in the room. Does he refuse to fight? Does he show cowardice in his interactions with Estelle and Inez? What does he feel during his various visions of life going on without him?

In addition, decide whether or not you think Garcin was really a coward and write a paragraph supporting your opinion.

Essay Topic 3

Estelle is characterized as the most selfish of the three characters. Explain the details Sartre uses to show these aspects of her character, including her physical description, her behavior in the room as well as her actions before.

Chose one:

A) Consider her life before: her marriage, affair and pregnancy. What do these details demonstrate about her as a person?

B) Consider her behavior in the room. How does she act, and how do you think that her treatment of Garcin and Inez contributes to the overall conflict of the play?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 873 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample