View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. How is the Kid linked to Geiger?

2. Who walks up the drive while Marlowe is on the phone?

3. What is the camera built into?

4. What color hair does Eddie Mars have?

5. Who owns Gieger's house?

Short Essay Questions

1. What will Eddie do if Marlowe does not stay in the house?

2. What does Marlowe tell Eddie on the phone?

3. What new light is shed on Carmen's character in chapter 15?

4. Why is the Sternwood's butler happy in chapter 21?

5. What does chapter 31 say about Carmen's character?

6. Why did the Kid move Geiger into his bedroom?

7. What does Marlowe find out about Eddie in chapter 13?

8. How does Carmen react to Marlowe's rejection?

9. How does Marlowe get Brody to change his mind in chapter 16?

10. In what way has the woman threatened Vivian?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The Big Sleep is known as hardboiled crime fiction.

1) What are the conventions of the genre in terms of character, language and plot?

2) In what way did Big Sleep help to set the template for similar novels? Do modern novels still use the ideas used in Big Sleep?

Essay Topic 2

The Big Sleep is a famous book which has greatly influenced modern literature. Choose a book written after the novel that you think was influenced by it and discuss there similarities in terms of:

a) plot

b) character

c) themes.

Essay Topic 3

In what way is Vivian Regan the typical femme fatale? What do the students think that Vivian's role will be in the story? What will her relationship be like with Marlowe? Why do the students think a femme fatale is important to the story?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 570 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample