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 Pavlo tell Pierce his name really is?

2. Who are the two characters in the furnace room when Pavlo first enters?

3. What does Pavlo realize after explaining what happened to Ardell?

4. Upon finding Pavlo in the state he is in, what does Hinkle do upon returning to the game?

5. What does Ardell do while helping Pavlo get dressed after his suicide attempt?

Short Essay Questions

1. Consider the graphic scenes presented in this part, and think about the word "mutilation." Employ this word to describe the deeper meanings of what is happening in these scenes. How are things, people, and ideas mutilated throughout this scene?

2. How is the incident of Pavlo taking the aspirin and not waking up during the other trainees' games symbolic? How is this foreshadowing?

3. What character traits can be seen from Pavlo as he struggles throughout this play thus far, in his attempt to become a good soldier. Provide evidence/examples.

4. In what ways do the scenes where Pavlo displays helplessness give insight into the reasons for Pavlo's drive to become a better or "good" soldier?

5. What could be surmised about Pavlo's thoughts from his comments to Miller about wanting to be on the front lines in Act 3, Part 2?

6. Identify and explore, using examples, a key component to Pavlo's character in this act.

7. The image of the closed coffin is the final component of the play's collage, the last piece of the puzzle that once was Pavlo's life. Describe it's effects, and comment on the general purpose of the play overall.

8. How is this scene, as well as Ardell's character, a seminaly metaphoric catalyst, displaying Pavlo's transformations and inner desires?

9. How is Pavlo made to feel helpless in Part 4?

10. Identify two juxtaposed aspects to Pavlo's character, and explain how they affect his identity.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How does the non-existence of the "wounded twice rule" function as a metaphor for the nature of Pavlo's delusional belief system? Use examples to support your answer, specifically to back up the nature of Pavlo's delusional belief system.

Essay Topic 2

As soon understood by the audience, scenes take place in different time frames, places, and even on different planes of existence; such as Pavlo being alive or Pavlo being dead. How is this narrative structure key to appreciating the play's style? Consider the phrase "the whole is more than the sum of its parts," and sum up your findings about the style of this play using this phrase to support your answer.

Essay Topic 3

The argument could be made that Pavlo's willful and continuous acts of denial spring from a classic tragic flaw. In the same way as classical characters of potential greatness like Oedipus, Hamlet, or Macbeth are brought to destruction by flaws of character (pride, indecision, or ambition), Pavlo is conceivably a character of potential greatness deeply flawed by self-delusion. The counter to this argument is that we never actually see Pavlo's greatness, not even a glimpse of it. In fact, from the beginning, he is portrayed as both loser and lost, defining his identity through the actions and example of other people. Does this make him any less tragic, or does his death portray him as the definitive victim? Choose a side to argue and consistently refer to examples from the book to back up your argument.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,783 words (approx. 6 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample