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. Who is Penny's daughter?

2. Whose son is Tony?

3. What does Tony's comment about family dynamics foreshadow?

4. Why does Donald arrive with flies?

5. What does Penny assume about the man standing in the doorway?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Grandpa do right before dinner? Why does he say this? What might this foreshadow?

2. How are the characters introduced? Why might the playwright use this technique to present the personalities and quirkiness of these characters to the audience or reader?

3. How is Alice directing her family? Why is she doing this?

4. What does this scenario about Alice's love for her unique family mirror?

5. What happens when the doorbell rings? How does this add to the comedic feeling of the play?

6. How does Mr. Kirby respond to Grandpa's philosophy? How do the Kirbys and Sycamores begin to become one cohesive family?

7. How does Grandpa challenge Mr. Henderson? How does Mr. Henderson handle this? With whom is the audience more likely to side, Grandpa or Mr. Henderson? Why?

8. Why does Alice relent?

9. What has this embarrassing incident done to Alice? How would you feel, if you were Alice?

10. What happens before Tony and Alice part? What does this show about their relationship?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Grandpa Vanderhof returns from a commencement ceremony.

Part 1) Where was the commencement ceremony? Why does he go to this ceremony?

Part 2) Why might commencement ceremonies be meaningful to Grandpa?

Part 3) What is something meaningful in your own life? Compare and contrast it to Grandpa's interest in commencement ceremonies.

Essay Topic 2

Grandpa Vanderhof is the patriarch of the family.

Part 1) What was his previous career? Why does he leave this career?

Part 2) How does this decision affect the rest of the family?

Part 3) Do you agree with his view on life? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

Ed is followed by a strange man.

Part 1) Who is this man? Why is he following Ed?

Part 2) How could audience members at the time this play is written relate to this?

Part 3) What role does this man play in the chaos and humiliation of the Kirbys towards the end of the play?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,014 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample