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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. On what day of the week does the play take place?

2. What new nickname does Martha give George in the second half of Act 1?

3. Which of the following is not a location that George has found Martha's cocktail glasses?

4. What does George tell Martha he wants her to stop doing?

5. What attribute of Nick and Honey's does George comment on as they ring the doorbell?

Short Essay Questions

1. What are some of the admonishments that George gives Martha in this section?

2. Describe Honey.

3. What is the story that Martha tells about boxing?

4. Compare George and Martha's attitudes to her father and its effect on George's career?

5. Describe Martha's first marriage.

6. Describe Martha's emotional confession.

7. How does George set Martha up for embarrassment as he opens the door?

8. Describe the movie that Martha references at the beginning of the play.

9. Describe university politics as explained by George.

10. What is Nick's plan to gain control of the university?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Nick and Honey are, in many ways, representations of George and Martha at a younger age. They are more hopeful and idealistic about the future. Write an essay about this topic:

Part 1) Nick and George discuss, at length, the possibility of Nick taking over the university. How does the cocky optimism of Nick represent the same ambitions that George had at his age?

Part 2) How does Honey's desire for a child and her history with conception mirror that of Martha?

Part 3) Which relationship do you believe knows more about each other?

Essay Topic 2

Repetition of phrases is a central component of Albee's writing. Write an essay about the purpose of this repetition. Defend your position with paragraphs about the following repeated phrases:

Part 1) Snap

Part 2)Truth and Illusion

Part 3) She's slim-hipped

Essay Topic 3

The past is an ambiguous thing in Albee's play. It is never entirely concrete and often changes depending on the speaker. Write a paragraph about each of the following stories told by a character about the past. How does the story change with each telling? Is the story true in any way?

Part 1) The story of Nick and Honey's courtship

Part 2) The story of George's tragic schoolfriend

Part 3) The story of George and Martha's son's childhood

(see the answer keys)

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