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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 neighborhood do Marino and Scarpetta go and visit after they see where Waddell was visited?

2. Where does Scarpetta find an envelope on Waddell's body?

3. What does Scarpetta find on her computer after Susan has gone there to lie down?

4. Who is Jennifer Deighton?

5. Where is the holiday party being held that Scarpetta attends?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Scarpetta looking for on people's computers while she is trying to figure out who hacked into her own machine?

2. What do Lucy and Scarpetta do on Christmas morning?

3. What does Scarpetta think of Heath's wounds?

4. What reasons does Susan give Scarpetta for why she has been acting funny lately?

5. Who was Robyn Naismith?

6. Describe Scarpetta's personal life.

7. What is so strange about the prison warden's behavior at the holiday party Scarpetta attends?

8. What conclusion do Marino and Scarpetta come to regarding Jennifer's death?

9. Why does Jennifer's neighbor not like her?

10. What is Scarpetta's feeling on the death penalty?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Is Cornwell using "Cruel and Unusual" as a means for making a commentary on the death penalty? If so, what is her message, and what 3 literary devices does she use to convey her opinion on the issue?

Essay Topic 2

Analyze the relationship between Lucy and Scarpetta. Using direct evidence from the text, make sure to address the following points: what their relationship has been like historically, what their relationship is like now, and what the reader learns about these 2 characters through their interactions with each other.

Essay Topic 3

Some fans of the Scarpetta series have been disappointed in later books in the series. They believe that Cornwell has drifted away from what makes Scarpetta so appealing in the first place. Discuss the 3 most appealing aspects of Scarpetta's character. How does Cornwell convey those characteristics to the audience so that the reader is drawn into the book/series?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 812 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample