Characters
This character is the first to be committed to Happy Dale Sanitarium.
Teddy Brewster
The setting of the play is
Brooklyn, NY 1940's in the Brewster House
"Rather a good joke on my aunts, them living in a house with a body buried in the cellar!"
This quote is an example of which device
Dramatic Irony
Mortimer decides he doesn't want to marry Elaine because
He is afraid that insanity runs in the Brewster family, and that his children would be insane, or that he will eventually lose his mind on Elaine.
Abby and Martha find their victims by doing this
Posting an advertisement for a room to rent in the newspaper (They do NOT rent rooms, but if a man fits the characteristics of someone who needs to go to Heaven, Abby and Martha will send him there; if the person doesn't fit the characteristics, they feed them a meal and send them away with a few dollars in their pocket).
This character mixes the poison that is given to old men.
Martha Brewster
The atmosphere of the play is
tension and suspense
When the opposite of what one expects to happens actually occurs, this is known as
Situational Irony
Abby and Martha think they are doing a positive thing when they kill because
Abby and Martha believe that they are sending lonely old gentlemen to Heaven to be with their family members who died before them.
Mortimer is not approved of by Rev. Dr. Harper because
- He takes Elaine to see plays, which show immoral behaviors
- He keeps Elaine out until 3 o'clock in the morning
This character killed Mr. Hoskins alone.
Abby Brewster
What is the main conflict in the story?
Mortimer does not know what to do about his aunts' killing old men.
When what is said is the opposite of what is meant, this is called
Verbal Irony
- They are old
- They are male
- They have no friends and family
- They are Christian (they believe in Heaven)
The facts about the Melbourne Method are (name 3)
- It takes two hours
- It uses surgical instruments
- It takes two people (Jonathan AND Einstein) to complete it
- The victim is tied up
- The victim ends up dead at the end
This character is the person who inspired Abby and Martha to begin sending people to heaven by killing them.
Mr. Midgely
What type and category of conflict does Mortimer face in the play?
Internal and External conflict
"I'm sorry, but we can't take sane people at Happy Dale."
This quote is an example of Dramatic Irony. Who said it and why?
Mr. Witherspoon
He thought Abby and Martha were sane and just didn't want to be away from Teddy. He didn't want them at Happy Dale because they weren't, in his opinion, insane.
Mortimer is not related to the Brewsters because
Mortimer's mother was pregnant with Mortimer when she came to work for the Brewster family as a cook. Her husband had just died. Brother Brewster, whose wife had also just died, thought she was sweet and a good cook, so he married her. Mortimer was born 3 months later.
Why did Mr. Spenalzo die?
He gave a ride to Jonathan and Einstein. When he said that Jonathan looked like Boris Karloff, Jonathan killed him and stuck him in the trunk of the car.
This character is the only victim of the Brewsters who survived.
Mr. Gibbs
The turning point or climax of the play is
Mortimer is captured and nearly killed by Jonathan and Einstein
"One more. I just need one more! And I have a pretty good idea of who it is..."
Jonathan Brewster says this to his aunts when he learns about the fact that they are tied for killings. This is an example of
Foreshadowing- This shows that Jonathan plans to kill Mortimer in order to break his tie with the aunts.
Grandfather Brewster made his millions by
Creating and patenting medicines
Why did Jonathan Brewster refuse to leave the Brewster house when Mortimer demanded that he go? (Give two reasons)
- He was wanted by the police
- The police had a description of his face
- He wanted to have plastic surgery done before he left
- He wanted to open a plastic surgery center for criminals so that he could make money while hiding in Abby and Martha's home