Fences
1. How does August Wilson use the recurring motif of "baseball" to explore Troy Maxson's psyche?
A) As a literal dream he projects onto Cory
B) As a metaphor for racial injustice and lost potential
C) As a nostalgic escape from his responsibilities
D) As a symbol of his rivalry with Bono
Answer: B) As a metaphor for racial injustice and lost potential
Explanation: Troy’s bitterness about being excluded from professional baseball due to racism fuels his resentment and shapes his oppressive parenting of Cory. His monologues about "hitting homeruns against Death" and "stealing second base" (cheating on Rose) tie his personal failures to systemic barriers.
1. How does O'Brien's use of metafiction in "How to Tell a True War Story" comment on the nature of war trauma?
A) It suggests that literal truth is less important than emotional truth
B) It proves that soldiers exaggerate their experiences for attention
C) It argues that war stories must be factually accurate to have value
D) It shows how veterans manipulate audiences for sympathy
Answer: A) It suggests that literal truth is less important than emotional truth
Explanation: O'Brien repeatedly states that a "true" war story isn't about facts but about conveying the visceral experience of war (e.g., the grotesque buffalo scene). The narrative's contradictions (e.g., whether Lemon died from sunlight or a grenade) underscore how trauma distorts memory.
1. How does August Wilson use Troy Maxson's relationship with his sons to explore the theme of generational trauma?
A) Troy replicates his father's abusive behavior, showing how cycles of pain persist
B) Cory's success as a Marine proves trauma can be overcome through discipline
C) Lyons' musical career symbolizes artistic escape from familial burdens
D) Troy's baseball anecdotes teach his sons to embrace nostalgia
Answer: A) Troy replicates his father's abusive behavior, showing how cycles of pain persist
Explanation: Troy's harsh treatment of Cory mirrors his own father's cruelty ("He fed me and that's all he owed me"). His inability to break this cycle—blocking Cory's football dreams, dismissing Lyons' ambitions—illustrates how systemic racism and toxic masculinity perpetuate generational wounds. Only Cory's eventual reconciliation at Troy's funeral hints at possible healing.
1. How does Bono function as a foil to Troy in Fences?
A) He highlights Troy's self-destructive pride by embodying loyalty and accountability
B) His success as a garbage truck driver shames Troy into ambition
C) He secretly envies Troy's rebelliousness and marital freedom
D) His musical talent contrasts with Troy's athletic past
Answer: A) He highlights Troy's self-destructive pride by embodying loyalty and accountability
Explanation: Bono remains Troy's faithful friend for years but ultimately distances himself after Troy's infidelity ("You should’ve stayed in my bed, Troy"). His moral clarity—especially when calling out Troy's hypocrisy with Alberta—underscores Troy's inability to change. Bono’s stable marriage to Lucille also contrasts with Troy’s betrayal of Rose.
1. "Some people build fences to keep people out...and other people build fences to keep people in."(Act 2, Rose)
How does this quote reflect Rose’s character development?
A) It reveals her growing awareness of Troy’s emotional imprisonment of the family
B) It shows her regret for not leaving Troy sooner
C) It highlights her desire to isolate herself from the community
D) It foreshadows Cory’s eventual escape from home
Answer: A) It reveals her growing awareness of Troy’s emotional imprisonment of the family
Explanation: Rose’s observation critiques Troy’s attempts to control his family (e.g., blocking Cory’s dreams, keeping Lyons indebted). Her phrasing—"keep people in"—mirrors how Troy’s trauma and pride trap everyone around him. This moment crystallizes her decision to reclaim agency by raising Raynell without him.
2. What does Rose’s final speech about the unfinished fence reveal about her character arc?
A) She regrets not leaving Troy sooner
B) She acknowledges her complicity in Troy’s toxicity but claims agency in the end
C) She blames Cory for abandoning the family
D) She sees the fence as a symbol of Troy’s love
Answer: B) She acknowledges her complicity in Troy’s toxicity but claims agency in the end
Explanation: Rose admits she "planted [herself] in Troy’s garden" but now tends her own "plot of land." The fence’s incompletion reflects her realization that she cannot fix Troy, but she still demands respect, raising Raynell independently.
2. In "The Man I Killed," what is the significance of O'Brien's detailed description of the Vietnamese soldier's wounds?
A) It forces readers to confront the humanity of the enemy
B) It glorifies the violence of war to shock the audience
C) It serves as a literal autopsy report
D) It symbolizes O'Brien's desire for medical training
Answer: A) It forces readers to confront the humanity of the enemy
Explanation: The hyper-detailed imagery (e.g., "star-shaped hole," "his jaw in his throat") strips away the enemy's anonymity, making the soldier an individual and intensifying O'Brien's guilt. This mirrors the theme of blurred morality in war.
2. What does Rose's garden symbolize in relation to the theme of unrealized dreams?
A) The care she wasted on Troy, who never "bloomed"
B) Her repressed desire for financial independence
C) A metaphor for neglected Black women's labor
D) Her unfulfilled hope for a loving family
Answer: D) Her unfulfilled hope for a loving family
Explanation: Rose tends her garden with care she never receives from Troy. When she says, "I planted myself inside you and waited to bloom," she confesses her sacrificed dreams. The garden's fragility mirrors her stifled aspirations under Troy's dominance, contrasting with the unfinished fence's symbolism of fractured promises.
2. Why does Rose Maxson agree to raise Troy’s illegitimate daughter, Raynell?
A) To assert control over the remnants of Troy’s legacy
B) As a religious penance for her own failures as a wife
C) Out of compassion, separating the child from Troy’s sins
D) To prevent Cory from inheriting Troy’s selfish traits
Answer: C) Out of compassion, separating the child from Troy’s sins
Explanation: Rose tells Troy, "This child got a mother. But you a womanless man," reclaiming agency through mercy. Her choice reflects her moral strength and critique of Troy’s toxicity—she refuses to let Raynell pay for her father’s mistakes. The garden scene where she tends to Raynell symbolizes this redemptive care.
2. "Death ain’t nothing but a fastball on the outside corner." (Troy, Act 1)
What does this baseball metaphor reveal about Troy’s worldview?
A) He sees life’s challenges as adversaries to be defeated through sheer will
B) He believes death is insignificant compared to racial injustice
C) He uses sports to avoid confronting his mortality
D) It foreshadows his literal death by foul ball
Answer: A) He sees life’s challenges as adversaries to be defeated through sheer will
Explanation: Troy frames everything—from racism to family conflicts—as a baseball game. His boast that he can "hit" Death like a pitch reflects both his defiance and delusion. The metaphor underscores his tragic flaw: he reduces complex struggles to winnable battles, ignoring emotional consequences.
3. Why does Gabriel’s trumpet blast at the end of the play hold thematic significance?
A) It signals Troy’s redemption in the afterlife
B) It underscores the cyclical nature of trauma for Black families
C) It represents divine judgment for Troy’s sins
D) It mirrors Gabriel’s mental breakdown
Answer: A) It signals Troy’s redemption in the afterlife
Explanation: Though ambiguous, Gabriel’s dance and trumpet blast (after failing to open heaven’s gates) suggest a spiritual resolution. Wilson frames Troy as a tragic figure whose flaws are intertwined with systemic oppression, leaving room for grace.
3. How does Norman Bowker's post-war life in "Speaking of Courage" reflect the theme of alienation?
A) His inability to discuss his trauma leads to existential paralysis
B) He becomes a successful businessman but remains unhappy
C) He blames his family for not supporting him
D) He returns to Vietnam to find closure
Answer: A) His inability to discuss his trauma leads to existential paralysis
Explanation: Bowker's endless drives around the lake—imagining conversations he can't have—highlight the isolation of veterans. The story’s circular structure mirrors his PTSD loop, culminating in his suicide (mentioned later in "Notes").
3. How does the "weight" of objects in the title story reflect the theme of psychological burdens?
A) Physical items (like Lt. Cross's pebble) symbolize emotional anchors to the past
B) The soldiers' packs literally crush them, showing war's physical toll
C) O'Brien lists equipment to criticize military bureaucracy
D) The heaviest items are weapons, representing guilt
Answer: A) Physical items (like Lt. Cross's pebble) symbolize emotional anchors to the past
Explanation: The pebble (from Martha) and Kiowa's Bible represent intangible burdens—love, faith, guilt. O'Brien juxtaposes these with military gear to show how soldiers "carry" grief (e.g., Lavender's death) long after physical weight is gone. The list structure immerses readers in their psychological load.
3. How does Lieutenant Jimmy Cross’s character arc exemplify the theme of failed leadership?
A) His obsession with Martha distracts him until Ted Lavender’s death forces accountability
B) His strict adherence to protocol gets multiple soldiers killed
C) He resents his troops for mocking his love letters
D) His eventual emotional detachment makes him an effective commander
Answer: A) His obsession with Martha distracts him until Ted Lavender’s death forces accountability
Explanation: Cross burns Martha’s letters and vows to "dispense with love" after Lavender dies under his negligent watch. His arc shows how wartime leadership is compromised by personal fantasies, and his subsequent guilt-driven discipline ("he would never forgive himself") underscores the impossible burdens placed on young officers.
3. "They carried the soldier’s greatest fear, which was the fear of blushing." ("The Things They Carried")
How does this quote encapsulate a central paradox of the novel?
A) It shows how shame, not death, is the most powerful motivator in war
B) It proves soldiers care more about reputation than survival
C) It critiques the vanity of young enlistees
D) It foreshadows O’Brien’s own desertion
Answer: A) It shows how shame, not death, is the most powerful motivator in war
Explanation: The line underscores O’Brien’s argument that soldiers often fear societal judgment ("blushing") more than dying. This explains why he goes to Vietnam despite opposing the war—a paradox that drives the entire book’s exploration of guilt, masculinity, and performative courage.
4. How does Cory’s military enlistment contrast with Troy’s past?
A) It shows Cory rejecting Troy’s advice entirely
B) It parallels Troy’s youthful rebellion but ends differently
C) It proves Cory is as stubborn as his father
D) It symbolizes Cory’s surrender to societal expectations
Answer: B) It parallels Troy’s youthful rebellion but ends differently
Explanation: Troy left home at 14 to escape his abusive father; Cory enlists to escape Troy. However, Cory later reconciles with Troy’s memory (attending his funeral), breaking the cycle of generational strife.
4. What does Mary Anne Bell's transformation in "Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong" symbolize?
A) War's capacity to erase civilian identity and morality
B) The superiority of women in combat roles
C) A feminist critique of male soldiers' weakness
D) The inevitability of PTSD for all who serve
Answer: A) War's capacity to erase civilian identity and morality
Explanation: Mary Anne's descent into savagery (wearing a necklace of human tongues) represents how war consumes innocence. Her arc mirrors the soldiers' loss of self, but her extreme transformation heightens the metaphor.
4. In "On the Rainy River," how does O'Brien's dilemma about fleeing to Canada explore the theme of shame vs. morality?
A) His fear of being judged outweighs his opposition to the war
B) Elroy's silence represents society's indifference to soldiers' guilt
C) Fishing symbolizes his desire to escape moral responsibility
D) The rainy river cleanses him of cowardice
Answer: A) His fear of being judged outweighs his opposition to the war
Explanation: O'Brien nearly flees but chooses Vietnam because he dreads being labeled a coward. This conflict exposes war's central shame/guilt paradox: societal pressure ("They would've laughed at me") overrides personal ethics. The story frames draft resistance as morally courageous yet socially untenable.
4. What does the Vietnamese soldier’s corpse in "The Man I Killed" reveal about O’Brien’s character?
A) His projection of a backstory onto the corpse reflects paralyzing guilt and self-identification
B) His clinical description of the wounds proves he is desensitized to violence
C) His refusal to bury the body shows cowardice under pressure
D) His anger at the soldier’s youth mirrors his resentment of the draft
Answer: A) His projection of a backstory onto the corpse reflects paralyzing guilt and self-identification
Explanation: O’Brien imagines the dead soldier as a scholar forced to fight, inventing a life that mirrors his own ambivalence ("he wanted to be a teacher"). This fictionalization exposes his trauma—he sees himself in the enemy, blurring moral lines. The story’s lack of dialogue immerses readers in his spiraling thoughts.
4. "In the end, it’s about a girl who danced through the minefields." ("Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong")
What does this concluding line suggest about Mary Anne Bell’s transformation?
A) War’s seduction is as inevitable and deadly as a minefield
B) Her innocence was a performance to manipulate the soldiers
C) She represents the impossibility of retaining humanity in war
D) Her fate is exaggerated to entertain Rat Kiley’s audience
Answer: C) She represents the impossibility of retaining humanity in war
Explanation: The "minefields" symbolize war’s dehumanizing traps. Mary Anne’s "dance" suggests she embraces this destruction, losing her former self. The line contrasts her initial purity with her later savagery, embodying O’Brien’s theme that war erodes identity.
5. What does the setting (1950s Pittsburgh) contribute to the play’s central conflict?
A) It highlights the limited opportunities for Black men post-WWII, fueling Troy’s frustration
B) It emphasizes the Maxsons’ isolation from Black cultural movements
C) It symbolizes Troy’s longing for the rural South
D) It foreshadows Cory’s future success in a changing America
Answer: A) It highlights the limited opportunities for Black men post-WWII, fueling Troy’s frustration
Explanation: The 1950s setting underscores racial barriers in employment (Troy’s garbage truck job), sports (Troy’s baseball past), and housing. Troy’s defiance (e.g., challenging work discrimination) is both heroic and self-destructive.
5. Why does O'Brien include the vignette "The Lives of the Dead"?
A) To argue that storytelling resurrects the dead and processes grief
B) To prove that childhood trauma prepares soldiers for war
C) To contrast war deaths with natural deaths
D) To criticize how society forgets fallen soldiers
Answer: A) To argue that storytelling resurrects the dead and processes grief
Explanation: The story links O'Brien's childhood memory of Linda's death to Kiowa's death, showing how imagination keeps the dead "alive." This meta-commentary frames the entire book as a act of mourning through fiction.
5. How does "Stockings" (Henry Dobbins' girlfriend's pantyhose) exemplify the theme of superstition as a coping mechanism?
A) The pantyhose become a talisman against death, blending luck and delusion
B) They symbolize Dobbins' inability to accept his girlfriend's infidelity
C) O'Brien critiques soldiers' infantilization through comfort objects
D) The stockings' durability mirrors Dobbins' physical strength
Answer: A) The pantyhose become a talisman against death, blending luck and delusion
Explanation: Dobbins wears the stockings like "body armor," attributing his survival to their magic. When his girlfriend dumps him, he doubles down on the superstition, showing how soldiers cling to irrational beliefs to control chaos. O'Brien underscores this by noting Dobbins later loses his legs—undermining the talisman's power but not his faith in it.
5. Why is Rat Kiley’s brutal killing of the baby water buffalo in "How to Tell a True War Story" pivotal to understanding his character?
A) It demonstrates how grief manifests as violence when words fail
B) It proves he is inherently sadistic, foreshadowing his later insanity
C) It symbolizes his desire to punish Vietnamese civilians
D) It shows his respect for the purity of animals over humans
Answer: A) It demonstrates how grief manifests as violence when words fail
Explanation: After Curt Lemon’s death, Kiley shoots the buffalo piece by piece, "like he was proving a point." The act is grotesque but underscores O’Brien’s claim that "true war stories" are often about love and loss. Kiley’s inability to articulate his pain (his letter to Lemon’s sister goes unanswered) makes him lash out physically.
5. "I want you to know why story-truth is truer than happening-truth." ("Good Form")
How does this quote defend O’Brien’s narrative style?
A) It argues that emotional resonance outweighs factual accuracy
B) It admits the novel is entirely fictional
C) It justifies exaggerating war stories for dramatic effect
D) It criticizes readers who demand realism
Answer: A) It argues that emotional resonance outweighs factual accuracy
Explanation: O’Brien distinguishes between literal "happening-truth" (events) and "story-truth" (emotional impact). This quote defends his fictionalized accounts—like the corpse’s imagined backstory—as tools to convey trauma’s essence more "truly" than facts could.