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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. What does Joe mean when he refers to "black and blue boys?"

2. What is the relationship between Joe and Edna?

3. Why does Joe think the workers need to strike?

4. Who does Joe call a Wop?

5. Who is the president as named in this scene?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Benjamin decide to do after being fired, and what had he been thinking about doing?

2. How does Agate's approach to the workers compare with that of Clayton the spy's approach in Scene 5?

3. How has Sid's economic situation affected his self-esteem?

4. How does Fatt try to dismiss the workers?

5. What are some of the reasons that Fayette selects Miller for the new project?

6. What are some reasons Joe doesn't want to strike?

7. How does Clayton connect to the workers?

8. How does Edna's opinion about striking differ from Joe's opinion and why?

9. Is Fatt respected by the workers?

10. What is the mood of the workers?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The first character introduced in the play is Fatt, who is described a certain way. Discuss the symbolic meaning for this character's name and appearance in relation to the situations in the play. Compare and contrast Fatt with Joe. How do you imagine Joe to look, and why use the name Joe? Whom do these two characters stand for? Who is the protagonist? The antagonist? What evidence supports your claims?

Essay Topic 2

Odets' play has been called dated because of the language. The slang and figurative language almost demand a close reading of the play with a good dictionary at hand. How does the language aid communication and relationships in the 1930s? What does it communicate about the speakers and listeners? What if anything could have influenced the language of the working class? What if any contemporary communications are comparable to Odets' language?

Essay Topic 3

Odets uses two techniques to shift the reader back and forward in time in order to tell his story. What two techniques does he use and where in the story does he use them? What are the benefits of using these techniques? The downside? If you were re-writing the play, how would you rearrange the scenes?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 822 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample