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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 is Carl Lee seated during the change of venue hearing?

2. How is Ford County Sheriff viewed by the local citizenry?

3. During the meeting of Jake's jury strategy team, what do the black citizens do?

4. How much does the NAACP initially contribute toward the defense of Carl Lee?

5. How old is Tonya?

Short Essay Questions

1. What are some of the efforts made in Clanton in preparation for the trial?

2. Why is Carl Lee reluctant to rehire Jake?

3. Why does John Grisham open his story with such horrific detail of the crime?

4. How does K.T. "Cat" Bruster's view of truth and justice compare with Carl Lee's?

5. What do readers learn about Jake Brigance in Chapter 8?

6. What sort of a lawman is Sheriff Ozzie Walls?

7. What illegal methods does Ozzie employ to gain information from the suspected bomber?

8. What sort of a lawyer is Jake Brigance?

9. What is Ellen Roark's response to Jake when he quizzes her on her credentials?

10. What sort of relationship exists between Sheriff Ozzie Walls and Jake Brigance?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

John Grisham presents a dark story. A 10-year-old girl is beaten, urinated on, and raped by two drunk, Mississippi rednecks. She endures unreal, subsequent trauma afterward. Her father kills the perpetrators. He is placed on trial for their murders and may be killed. A "snitch" in the KKK warns local law enforcement of potential attacks, and is himself killed in retribution. A KKK leader is killed with a Molotov cocktail. Others die in Grisham's novel, "A Time to Kill." Explain what the author is referring to by his title.

Essay Topic 2

It has been said that "A Time to Kill" is a novel and not a history. It shows that all men and women are not treated equally in the legal system. What specifically in John Grisham's novel causes you to examine the ethics of our society?

Essay Topic 3

When Freddie Cobb arrives at the Ku Klux Klan meeting in Nettles County, he attempts to gain their help in retaliation for his brother's murder. How do Klan members view Billy Ray's murder? How will they accomplish this? What is the outcome of their peaceful demonstration outside the Clanton Courthouse? Examine the KKK's actions in this story, as well as the consequences.

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This section contains 1,096 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample