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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. Which door does the narrator use when she takes a walk in Chapter 1?

2. What color hair does Carlton have?

3. Where might Lily take Marie Hofstettler on the days Lily works for her?

4. What was the name of the town where Lily lived with her parents?

5. Who does the narrator call to tell about the body in the park?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Marie Hofstettler believe she should call the police Tuesday morning?

2. Why is Lily's house a shotgun house?

3. Describe Lily's backyard.

4. Why does Lily believe that the Shakespeare Garden Apartments are misnamed?

5. Why does Lily say that Alvah has gone downhill since she and her husband moved to the apartment complex?

6. Did Lily have a key to the dentist's office when she first started cleaning there?

7. Describe Claude Friedrich.

8. What disciplinary issues are handled at the preschool board meeting?

9. Why did Pardon Albee pick up Marie Hofstettler's rent check every month?

10. What does Norvel Whitbread receive as compensation for serving as janitor at the Shakespeare Combined Church?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Citing examples from the novel, discuss how Lily changes throughout the novel.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss how the author uses red herrings in the novel to divert attention from the real murderer. Cite examples from the novel.

Essay Topic 3

Discuss why the story of Alvah's granddaughter's rape is so upsetting to Lily. Cite examples from the novel.

(see the answer keys)

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