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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. Where does Anges Tsosie's son-in-law place her bed?

2. Where does Leaphorn go to search Madrid-Perez's luggage?

3. What is Chee scheduled to do beginning Tuesday?

4. What shocks Perry when she opens the package on her desk?

5. What are the dancers doing that Chee is watching?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who does Leaphorn wish he could talk over the case with and why can't he?

2. Who has called Catherine Perry and what does she think he wants?

3. What is one source of cash for Fleck to help his mother and who does he contact about it?

4. Describe Henry Highhawk's appearance at the Night Chant ceremony.

5. Why does Joe Leaphorn believe harmony has been restored in terms of the corpse in the desert?

6. Describe what Joe Leaphorn finds at the crime scene Kennedy asks him to investigate.

7. For whom does Janet Chee work and what is her relationship to her immediate supervisor?

8. What does Anges Tsosie tell Joe Leaphorn when he questions her?

9. What does the letter Chee receives from Mary reveal?

10. Where is Jim Chee planning to go on his vacation?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Oftentimes, a book is more of a character-driven plot rather than action driven, and oftentimes the other way. Some books seem to balance the two. Discuss the following:

1. What do you think it means to say that a plot is character driven? Action driven?

2. How do you think a plot differs if it is character driven versus action driven?

3. Which type of plot do you find more interesting? Why?

4. Do you think it is possible to have a plot where action and character development share equal time? Why or why not.

5. What type of plot do you think Talking God is? Explain your response.

Essay Topic 2

Talking God, like most detective novels, involves the act of murder. Discuss the following:

1. What is murder? Is the act of murder always clearly murder?

2. Do you think the death of Leroy Fleck, who is a known murderer, is at all tragic? Why or why not.

3. Is murder ever justified? Why or why not.

Essay Topic 3

Talking God, like many, and perhaps a majority, of novels ends on a happy (or at least optimistic) note. Discuss the following:

1. Why do you think many (most?) people want what they perceive as a happy or good ending to a novel? Explain your opinion. Do you? Why or why? not?

2. What are three reasons to read fiction? Discuss each one in light of Silent Prey and whether or not it fulfills all three, two or one of the reasons you mention. Give examples as to why Talking God is or is not successful in fulfilling the reasons you discuss.

3. Do you think reading solely for entertainment is as good a reason to read as any other? Why or why not? Can any work of fiction or non-fiction, no matter how poorly written, enlighten, teach, stimulate thought? Why or why not?

4. Discuss one idea in Talking God that might influence your thinking.

(see the answer keys)

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