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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 does Mars get his men out of the car?

2. What does Marlowe demand from Brody?

3. Where does Marlowe wait for Geiger?

4. On what page does Ben Hur have a duplicated line?

5. Where is the woman hiding?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Mars react to the fact that there maybe a gray Plymouth on Marlowe's tail?

2. What's Marlowe's excuse for looking for Regan?

3. Why does Marlowe think that Rusty disappeared?

4. Describe the two Sternwood girls.

5. Describe the fight that takes place in chapter 15?

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

7. What information does Marlowe leave out from his story?

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

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

10. Why does Canino think Marlowe is dead?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Examine the character of Rusty Regan:

1) What is the significance of Rusty Regan to the story? Why does the reader never see him?

2) Why do the other characters seem to be encouraging Marlowe to find Rusty?

3) In what way does Rusty Regan add intrigue to the plot?

Essay Topic 2

The Big Sleep is written in the first person and with Marlowe as narrator. Why do you think Chandler chose to write the story in the first person? How do you think the meaning of the story would of changed if it was written in the third person?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss whether you think this statement is true or false:

The character of Eddie Mars exemplifies a corrupt era where the only people who were successful were criminals. Use two examples from the novel to support your argument.

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