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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. When asked, "what are you?" the narrator replies, "the beginning. And the end. Meet your ______, Father."

2. What type of vehicle does Dexter suggest the murder suspect uses to transport the bodies?

3. Who is nicknamed "Einstein"?

4. Who makes an arrest in the Tamiami Trail case?

5. How did Dexter's foster mom die?

Short Essay Questions

1. What question does Dexter say is the key to thinking about the killer? How would Dexter have done things different had he committed these murders?

2. What "trophy" does the Tamiami Trail Killer give to Dexter? For what reason does Dexter believe the killer gave him this trophy?

3. Why does Dexter attend the Metro's seventy-two hour meeting? Who is unhappy that Dexter is at the meeting? Explain.

4. Who does Dexter kill in the beginning of the novel? Why does Dexter kill this person?

5. Describe Dexter's feelings towards children. Does he want kids of his own? Explain.

6. Explain what Dexter believes the real Tamiami Trail Killer is going to do now that there has been an arrest in the murder case.

7. What gift does the intruder leave Dexter? What is symbolic of this gift?

8. What does Dexter do on his date with Rita that upsets her? What is Dexter's reaction to the situation? What is he thinking about?

9. Why are Dexter's co-workers surprised to see him at the crime scene in the beginning of the novel? What is Dexter's reaction to this news? Explain.

10. Dexter states that he has a small reputation for hunches, what does he mean? Why is he capable of having such hunches?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Choose a scene from Darkly Dreaming Dexter in which some of the most significant events are mental or psychological, such as an awakening, discovery, or change in consciousness. In a well-organized essay, describe how the author manages to give these internal events the sense of excitement, suspense and climax usually associated with external action.

Essay Topic 2

Choose a death scene from the novel that reveals the values of the main character and the society in which he lives. In a focused essay, discuss the contribution the scene makes to the meaning of the work as a whole.

Essay Topic 3

Distinguish the character of Brian to that of Dexter. Explain their similarities and differences as detailed in the text.

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