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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 language is Tom grateful that the detective cannot speak?

2. Who phones Tom from Rome?

3. What does Tom buy at 8 am?

4. Who has Mr. Greenleaf hired?

5. What does Tom think he will beat Marge with if she refuses to believe him?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Tom read in the newspapers in Chapter 30?

2. Why does Marge think that Dickie's signature must have changed?

3. What information does McCarron want from Tom?

4. What does Tom tell Marge on the phone?

5. What does Tom say to Mr. Greeenleaf in his letter in June?

6. What does Mr. Greenleaf write in his letter to Tom?

7. How does Tom fake Dickie's will?

8. What do the police tell Tom on the phone?

9. What does Tom decide is a great thing about Europe?

10. What reason does Tom give for Dickie being despondent?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Examine violence in the novel.

1) How do the characters in the novel view violence? Are there are character that would think twice before shooting or hitting someone?

2) Do the characters need to be violent to cope in the world that Highsmith portrays?

3) How do the students think the public reacted to the novel's violence when it was first published? How would the public react to such a book today?

Essay Topic 2

Examine Tom Ripley's's character across the whole series.

1) How does Highsmith develop Ripley's character across the whole series?

2) Does THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY add any new elements to Ripley's character? If so, what?

Essay Topic 3

Examine Highsmith's writing style. How would you describe Highsmith's prose style? What kind of vocabulary does she use? Does she use any specific writing techniques? What meaning does Highsmith's style give to the story?

(see the answer keys)

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