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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. Who does Rutledge suggest to Wilton might have been the real murderer?

2. What does Mrs. Davenant have to say about the murder victim in Chapter 3?

3. How is the murder victim in this novel killed?

4. What nationality does one of Lettice Wood's suggest for a secret lover Catherine Tarrant had?

5. What does Rutledge find unusual about the nurse's attitude toward Hickam in Chapter 9?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Rutledge learn about Catherine Tarrant that might provide motive for her to kill Harris?

2. Why was Scotland Yard called in to investigate the murder of Colonel Harris?

3. Who does Rutledge learn that Catherine Tarrant blamed for the death of her German lover?

4. What does Rutledge feel is unusual about the position in which the body of Colonel Harris was found?

5. What does Rutledge note as odd in Wilton's behavior toward Lettice in the aftermath of Harris' murder?

6. Why does Dr. Warren claim he felt it necessary to sedate Lettice Wood after the death of her guardian?

7. What is Rutledge's impression of Carfield, the local vicar?

8. What is revealed when the author switches point of views at the beginning of Chapter 7?

9. What is ironic about the death of Hamish McLeod as described in Chapter 9?

10. Why does Mrs. Davenant urge Captain Wilton to visit Lettice Wood at Mallows?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss irony. How many examples of irony are there in this novel? How is the death of Hamish McLeod filled with irony? Is this part of what causes Rutledge to become obsessed with Hamish? What is ironic about the change in relationship between Lettice and her guardian? What is ironic about Harris' death? How could Harris' death been prevented? How did Harris' death prevent the death of another character?

Essay Topic 2

Who is Mavers? Why do the people of the village immediately point to Mavers as the chief suspect in Harris' death? Why have Mavers and Harris had a falling out? What has this done to Mavers' life? is Mavers fair in his assessment of Harris? Who pays Mavers' pension? Why is everyone in the village surprised to learn this fact late in the novel? What does this say about Mavers' motive for murder?

Essay Topic 3

Who is Lizzie Pinter? Why is she traumatized? What does the doctor think of her condition? What does he do to help her? What does Rutledge find of Lizzie's in the meadow where Harris' body was found? What does Rutledge think Lizzie saw in the meadow? How does this change Rutledge's assumptions about the murder?

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