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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 is the name of the lead investigator for the District Attorney?

2. Where does Marlowe discover tracks?

3. What name is on the mail box?

4. What does Marlowe pretend to be selling?

5. What does Marlowe accuse Eddie of protecting?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why can Marlowe not catch the killer?

2. What happens at 7:20?

3. What more clues does Marlowe find at Geiger's house?

4. What does Marlowe claim he thought the real case was?

5. How does Carmen react to Marlowe's rejection?

6. What does Carmen remember from the night before?

7. Describe Vivian Regan.

8. Describe the two Sternwood girls.

9. What does chapter 31 say about Carmen's character?

10. What does Marlowe find in his apartment on his return home?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What is Chandler's view on homosexuality? How does he communicate these views through Marlowe? Why do the students think that Chandler links his homosexual characters to pornography and murder?How would the majority of readers in the thirties have reacted to a homosexual character?

Essay Topic 2

The Big Sleep is a famous book which has greatly influenced modern literature. Choose a book written after the novel that you think was influenced by it and discuss there similarities in terms of:

a) plot

b) character

c) themes.

Essay Topic 3

Examine the character of Rusty Regan:

1) What is the significance of Rusty Regan to the story? Why does the reader never see him?

2) Why do the other characters seem to be encouraging Marlowe to find Rusty?

3) In what way does Rusty Regan add intrigue to the plot?

(see the answer keys)

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