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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. What amount of "disappointment" (51) does Tom Benecke feel when the coin does not break the window?

2. What action does Tom Benecke imagine Clare Benecke taking just before "glancing up" (52) at him outside the window?

3. What happens when Tom Benecke strikes the window with his shoe?

4. How wide are the "wood strips" (43) onto which Tom Benecke holds in order to save his own life?

5. What object within the Beneckes' apartment is NOT described as being a certain length away from Tom Benecke's "nose" (44)?

Short Essay Questions

1. For what reason will Clare Benecke be unable to help Tom Benecke herself when she arrives home?

2. In what manner does Tom Benecke find the yellow sheet of paper?

3. What features of the building does Tom Benecke use as finger-holds during his venture?

4. What is Finney's purpose for including the detail that Clare Benecke cannot open the window?

5. What else happens when Tom Benecke's wrists are "jarred" (41) from the frame of the window?

6. Describe the way in which canine-involved language is used within the story and for what purpose.

7. For what reasons does Tom Benecke finally decide that he cannot possibly wait on the ledge until Clare Benecke returns home?

8. How is the motif of the carnivalesque apparent within Tom Benecke's image of what he will do when he regains access to his apartment?

9. What objects does Tom Benecke use in an attempt to break the window?

10. What is the setting of the story and how does it affect the story's mood?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the instances of irony within "Contents of the Dead Man's Pocket," and analyze Finney’s purpose for including each instance you discuss.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss Finney’s messages about guilt and responsibility within "Contents of the Dead Man's Pocket."

Essay Topic 3

Trace the characterization arc of Tom Benecke’s character throughout the story, focusing on Finney’s use of characterization methods and how they connect to his intended messages.

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