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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 is Miss Cardell?

2. In what way does Jim eventually respond to Dr. Bellman's first request?

3. Who did Ann call after receiving the phone call she is telling the doctors about?

4. Who called Ann earlier in the day?

5. What has Jim been depressed over?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Jim's theory about life and death, and why his suicide attempt should not been seen as selfish?

2. What happens at the beginning of Act 2, Scene 3 that shocks Jim?

3. How are the patients in the convalescent ward described, and what is the contrast between them and Jim in Act 2, Scene 1?

4. According to what Jim tells Dr. Schlesinger, what is the event that triggered his intent to end his life?

5. How do the nurses interact with the patients in the beginning of the play and what does that illustrate?

6. Who is Harry, what is he like, and how does Jim respond to him?

7. What does Jim tell Dr. Schlesinger about Ann, and how does the doctor respond?

8. What does Tom say about Ann's family and how is this another example of her control over him?

9. What is interesting about the doctors' ability to assess Jim at this point in the play?

10. How does Jim handle Dr. Bellman in the fourth scene of Act 3 and why?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How does Ann appear in the very beginning of the play? Why is it important that she is not revealing any signs of her real intentions for Jim? How does this play a crucial role in her ability to gain the trust of the doctors and hospital staff?

Essay Topic 2

Describe Jim's theory about life and death and why he does not view his suicide attempt as selfish. Analyze his thought process and whether or not it is valid. Also, explain his ideas about mourning and how they show a larger problem for him and the way he looks at life. Use examples from the play to analyze Jim's theory and what part it played in his eventual captivity.

Essay Topic 3

The staff at the hospital played a necessary role in Jim's stay, state of mind, and actions.

1) Describe the characters you think were the most influential in Jim's hospital stay, how they were depicted, and the ways they affected Jim's actions.

2) Which scenes that included Jim's interactions with the hospital staff were the most important to the plot? Explain the specific part of the scenes and how they were significant to the play.

3) Why do you think there were so many different doctors and attendants that interacted with Jim? What does that display for the hospital's role in the play? Why is this effective in leading to the eventual outcome?

(see the answer keys)

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