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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. Cynthia tells Tracey not to think that just because she "went upstairs" (59) that she "can't see [something] on the floor" (60). What does she say she can still see on the floor?

2. Why has Cynthia had to move to a different residence during the time Chris has been in prison?

3. When Jason comes to see Tracey after he is released from prison, what does he say had taken a lot of nerve on his part?

4. To what animal does Cynthia compare the managers at Olstead's?

5. When Cynthia recalls how Jessie had looked when they first met, what folk singer does she say Jessie looked like?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Tracey mean when she says that Oscar does not know her during their conversation outside the bar?

2. How is overlapping dialogue used to indicate closeness between characters at Jessie's birthday party?

3. What emotion does Cynthia express to Chris that she has been feeling since his incarceration?

4. How does the mood of Jessie's birthday party change when Tracey arrives?

5. How does the playwright reveal to the audience how serious Jessie had been about her plans to travel the world before she had taken a job at Olstead's at age 18?

6. What does Cynthia say is the only upside of the trouble at Olstead's during the labor dispute?

7. What is Cynthia's reaction to the distance Chris is trying to maintain between them upon his release from prison?

8. What is Oscar's true purpose for going outside where Tracey is smoking outside of the bar?

9. What does Cynthia say is the reason she has not seen Tracey and Jessie as often as she used to before the labor dispute?

10. What is significant about Brucie giving Chris back his $10 once he hears of the trouble at the factory?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the playwright's use of the two sets of character foils in the play: Chris and Jason, and Cynthia and Tracey. What purposes do these two sets of character foils serve in the play?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss Stan's role within the events of the play and explain how his character helps to further develop certain themes inherent in Lynn Nottage's piece.

Essay Topic 3

Examine the symbolism of the props in this play, including Chris's Bible, Cynthia's union card, and the baseball bat.

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