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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. Who invites Ethel and Norman to dinner?

2. What is one thing Charlie brought with him?

3. What makes Norman believe he might be qualified for the job?

4. When does Norman express interest in the contents of Chelsea's letter?

5. What is the name of their daughter who visits them?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Ethel say about the neighbors and what is Norman's response?

2. What does Charlie say about Chelsea and children and what does this possibly reveal about Charlie as a person?

3. Give a brief description of the setting at the opening of the play.

4. Describe the scene and conversation about Elmer.

5. What other elderly couple is mentioned in this scene and what does Ethel say about them?

6. When does Norman become interested in Chelsea's letter and why might that be?

7. What does Charlie suggest about the broken screen door; what is Ethel's reply and why do you think she responds the way she does?

8. What picture does Norman pick up and what is the story behind it?

9. Give a brief synopsis of Ethel and Charlie's conversation and what the author may be showing through this conversation.

10. How does the broken screen door come into play again and how does it give the reader a better understanding of Norman's character?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Two people mentioned in Act 1, Scene 1, are Miss Appley and Miss Tate who are both in their nineties. Ethel implies that these two have been romantically involved for many decades. This play was written in the 1970s, which means Miss Appley and Miss Tate probably became lovers in the early part of the 1900s. Answer the following questions in a coherent essay using detailed examples from the entire play:

1). How difficult do you think it was for the two women to have a relationship in the early part of the 20th century?

2). What do you think the attitude of each of their parents was when it became obvious that the two women were not going to marry men?

3). How would you feel if Miss Appley and Miss Tate were your next door neighbors?

Essay Topic 2

In Act 2, Scene 1, Norman and Billy are sneaking out of the house, acting like old buddies, to go fishing. Choose one of the following to write a coherent essay with detailed examples:

1). Describe the metamorphosis of Billy and Norman's relationship. Fill in the blanks where information is not provided.

2). Discuss why you think Norman adopts some of Billy's style of talk and habits and Billy adopts some of Norman's ideas. Include what those ideas and habits are.

3). Discuss how people tend to treat their grandchildren differently from their children. Give examples from your life or other books/movies you have seen. Why do you think this happens?

Essay Topic 3

In the very first scene of the play, it is already obvious that one of the themes will be daughter/father relationships. Answer the following questions in a coherent essay using detailed examples from the entire play:

1). Give your opinion about how you think Norman and his daughter will get along, just based upon the little that is revealed in the first scene of the play.

2). The part of the first scene where Norman looks at Chelsea's picture of her in a swimsuit as a teen is a technique called foreshadowing. What does this foreshadow? Is this an effective method to clue the reader in on some future action in the play? Why or why not.

3). Are you as a reader prepared to like Chelsea or not based on what is subtly revealed about her in this first scene? Explain.

(see the answer keys)

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