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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 the narrator say Missy was wearing on the day he hit her?

2. In Chapter 24, where does Jonah spend the evening after Otis' arrest?

3. Charlie learns in Chapter 24 that his deputy has not been able to locate ________ all day.

4. In Chapter 17, why does Charlie call Miles in to work early?

5. In Chapter 24, who is waiting outside for Charlie when he returns to the sheriff's office?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Miles react to Jonah's questions about his mother when he finds Miles watching home videos?

2. Why does Miles not file a report on Sims Addison before his shift is over? How does Sims use this to his advantage?

3. What does Miles do during the arrest of Otis Timson that could come back to haunt him later?

4. What does the unnamed narrator say he was doing the night of Missy's death?

5. In Chapter 29, why does Brian suddenly feel it is important to tell Sarah to make Miles back off of Otis Timson? What does Brian reveal to the reader in this chapter?

6. Why does Sims Addison claim in Chapter 17 that he never wants to return to jail?

7. Despite a reluctance to return to jail, what is Sims Addison doing in Chapter 17 when Miles pulls him over?

8. Why does the unnamed narrator begin to spy on Jonah and Miles? What does he hope to see?

9. In Chapter 16, what does the unnamed narrator say he did when he saw Missy up ahead of him on the road?

10. In Chapter 27, why does Miles lash out at Sarah?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Why does Miles arrest Otis Timson? Should Miles have arrested Otis on charges of killing Missy? Should Miles have handled the situation differently? Why did Miles hold a gun to Otis' head? What charges could Miles face for doing such a thing? Was Miles acting inappropriately? What does it say about Miles that he did not kill Otis when given the chance? Why did Miles not tell Charlie immediately what was going on? What might have happened differently if Miles had gone to Charlie first?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss one of the following in an essay:

1) Setting: The small town setting and its impact on the characters.

2) Setting: The author's decision to set the novel in the 1980s rather than modern time.

3) Structure: The use of an unnamed narrator to preface the book.

Essay Topic 3

What happens to Miles when he hears Sims Addison's accusations against Otis Timson? How does Miles react to Charlie's insistence that he stay out of the investigation? Why does Miles go to Sarah with his frustrations? How does Sarah react? What does this tell Miles about Sarah's concern in the situation? What impact will these new accusations have on Miles and Sarah's relationship? Does this imply that Miles is not over Missy? Does this imply that Miles does not love Sarah?

(see the answer keys)

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