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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What kind of weather is said to have occurred the night before the novel's first events?
(a) A storm.
(b) A cold snap.
(c) A tornado.
(d) A quick thaw.

2. What is the name of the motorist Silas stops on his way to the cabin in the woods where he and his mother Alice had lived?
(a) Carl Ott.
(b) Tina Rutherford.
(c) Wallace Stringfellow.
(d) Violet Henner.

3. In what way is Silas associated with the dead man he has found in the swamp when the narrative first introduces him?
(a) The man had been a former classmate.
(b) The man had been Silas's uncle.
(c) The man had been Silas's stepfather.
(d) The man had been Silas's cousin.

4. For what meal do Silas and Angie meet at a local diner at the start of Chapter 8?
(a) A midnight snack.
(b) Lunch.
(c) Dinner.
(d) Breakfast.

5. Whose criminal arrest had led to the urgent need for Silas and his mother's relocation?
(a) Silas's brother.
(b) Silas's uncle.
(c) Silas's mother Alice.
(d) The boyfriend of Silas's mother Alice.

Short Answer Questions

1. At the start of the novel, how many murders do Larry's fellow citizens believe he has committed?

2. What is the name of the young woman with whom Larry had gone on a date just before her disappearance?

3. What had been the real reason behind the date between Cindy and Larry?

4. What type of weapon is the masked man holding when he confronts Larry?

5. To whom had Larry sold some of his land in the past, according to documents Silas finds in Larry's house?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is meant by the use of the term "curator" (1) in relation to Larry's house?

2. Discuss a moment in the text when Franklin causes the reader to wonder about Larry's role in the murders he is suspected by the community as having committed.

3. What event occurs that prompts Silas to go check on Larry?

4. For what reason does Alice choose to go south when she and Silas leave Chicago?

5. In what way, if any, does Carl finally address with Larry the subject of the fight over the rifle?

6. What nickname do the people of Chabot, Mississippi call Silas?

7. What had been the impetus for Silas and his mother's move out of south Chicago?

8. What is Silas's reaction when Larry tells a story about Cecil's reckless use of fireworks?

9. Describe French's character.

10. What does Silas ultimately find underneath the flock of buzzards?

(see the answer keys)

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