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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. How do the members of the council of black ministers arrive for strategic planning regarding the NAACP defense of Carl Lee?

2. What does Jake Brigance drive?

3. Following Carl Lee's preliminary hearing, what does Jake attempt to do in the interview with New York Times reporter McKittrick?

4. After being threatened by Marsharfsky, Jake does what?

5. What does Tonya, who suffers from endless nightmares and is certain that her attackers are after her, insist on?

Short Essay Questions

1. What sort of a lawyer is Jake Brigance?

2. Why does Judge Noose impose a gag order?

3. What are the positions taken by Jake and Carla when he suggests he will contact Lester, Carl Lee's brother, after the latter fires him?

4. How are the key characters depicted as selfish and self-centered in Chapter 24?

5. What sort of an attorney is Harry Rex Vonner?

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

7. What are some Jake's unethical practices?

8. Despite Jake's seeking a change of venue again, what are the reasons Jake would prefer the trial continue in Ford County?

9. What is the trajectory of Judge Omar Noose's career that has led him to his current status?

10. Why does the name of Clyde Sisco cause some stir during Jake's jury strategy team session in Chapter 29?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

John Grisham is noted for his mastering the writing style with roller coaster peaks and valleys between and within chapters. He also includes sudden twists and turns with brief, intermittent recoveries. Examine how his style in "A Time to Kill," and include examples from the text.

Essay Topic 2

Carl Lee Hailey clearly murdered two men who gang raped his ten-year-old daughter. While he did so in retaliation, it was not in the heat of the moment, but the result of well-planned and orchestrated maneuvering. Why don't Jake and Sheriff Ozzie Walls make make an effort to stop it before it will happen? Why is Deputy Looney, who Carl Lee shoots accidentally in the leg and which is amputated, able to forgive him, much less defend him in court? Why do Klansman in Nettles County believe the victims of the murder got what they deserved, but only retaliate given the racial differences? Explain why Carl Lee is treated and viewed with respect by the deputies, but feared by the other prisoners in the jail? Why does the jury find Carl Lee "not guilty by reason of insanity" when he was not? In delving deeper into these questions, what is the overall theme of the novel?

Essay Topic 3

Who is identified at "Mickey Mouse" in the Ku Klux Klan? What has this individual attempted to do secretly? Provide several examples of "Mickey Mouse's" success. When did "Mickey Mouse" fail?

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