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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 does Will call the phase he is going through?

2. How does Palmer describe Will?

3. What was the party in honor of?

4. What did the doctor show her before showing her Jennie's slipping grades?

5. What is his last conscious thought of when he is beaten?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Maggie's state of mind when she sees Will at the hospital?

2. What is the first inkling Maggie has that Will could be violent with her?

3. What two things does Maggie refuse to do to help herself and her defense team?

4. What effect does this information have on Maggie's conviction?

5. What is Will's demeanor when Palmer enters his room in Rio?

6. What does Peter say on the stand that he hopes will hang Maggie?

7. What does Norma finally get the groundskeeper from the Lake Club to admit?

8. What does Maggie discover that relieves her, but also takes away a large part of her defense?

9. What is the first scene that Will is asked to play in Primrose?

10. What event almost ruins Maggie's wedding to Will?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Phillip and Will both abuse drugs which seemingly leads to increased manic behavior. Is drug abuse the reason these two men became so unstable? Without drug use, would they have resorted to the violent behavior patterns that they exhibited? What affect do drugs have on the mind? Are some more dangerous than others? Does alcohol enhance or decrease the effects of drugs on a system? What is the scale of drugs beginning with the most violence inducing drug and working to the most harmless? Is there such a thing as a harmless drug? If so, what is it and why is it essentially harmless? Support your answers.

Essay Topic 2

In this novel, Will exhibits an instinct for luring in women by telling them what they want or need to hear in order to get them into bed. How do instincts play a role in human beings where their survival is concerned? What instinctive quality do we all have that enables us to survive? What conditions might cause us to ignore this instinct? Under what conditions might you ignore a survival instinct?

Essay Topic 3

Insanity is a plea often used in the court system. What qualifies as an insanity defense? Could Maggie have claimed temporary insanity as a defense in the killing of Patrick or Will? If so, why? How is the defense preferable for the person convicted? Compare a guilty verdict to a guilty verdict by reason of insanity? What are the similarities and what are the differences? How might Will have used this defense had he been required to for Palmer's murder or for the attempted murder of Maggie and her children?

(see the answer keys)

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