Practice Essay Questions: READING AND RESPONDING
ALL ABOUT EVE
In order to succeed in the theatre, the only values that count are egotism and ruthless ambition. Discuss.
"She's a loose lamb in a jungle!"
The central women's decisions and relationships are dictated by different vulnerabilities.
Discuss {engage education A}
It is not only fame versus anonymity that creates divisions between characters, but class and wealth as well.
Discuss {engage education A}
"Funny business, a woman's career - the things you drop on your way up the ladder so you can move faster."
The lives of the central female characters in All About Eve, even those who are successful, are limited by their gender.
Discuss. {engage education B}
The capacity to deceive and betray is at the heart of All About Eve.
Discuss. {engage education B}
All About Eve portrays how envy can be a destructive force in relationships. Discuss. {engage education C}
"We all have abnormality in common. We're a breed apart form the rest of humanity, we theatre folk; we are the original displaced personalities."
What is it that links the characters of All About Eve? {engage education C}
The society portrayed in All About Eve is depicted as fundamentally superficial and driven purely by the self-interest of members.
To what extent do you agree? {engage education D}
No character is positioned as trustworthy to the audience inAll About Eve.
Do you agree? {engage education D}
"Margo is a great star, a true star. She never was or will be anything less, or anything else."
Margo Channing has what other characters want, yet is deeply unsatisfied with her life. Discuss. {engage education E}
The tensions between the theatre and Hollywood mirror the conflicts between characters throughout All About Eve. Discuss. {engage education E}
Exam 1:
i. "I'm just the carbon copy you read when you can't find the original."
To what extent is this true of Eve?
OR
ii. The audience sympathises with no one in All About Eve. Discuss.
Exam 2:
i. In All About Eve, Mankeiwicz suggests that once trust is broken, it can never be truly repaired. Discuss.
OR
ii. The metadrama of All About Eve shows us that no one is what they seem. Discuss.
Exam 3:
i. “This is my house, not a theatre. In my house, you're a guest, not a director.”
Discuss the importance of stage-managing one’s appearance and identity in All About Eve.
OR
ii. All About Eve is a scathing critique of the damage relationships can do. Discuss.
VCAA
2014:
i. It is Eve's ruthless pursuit of ambition that leads us to dislike her.
Do you agree?
OR
ii. All About Eve is all about appearances.
Discuss