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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. Who chats openly and honestly with Dalgliesh?
2. What is Dr. Kerrison's biggest concern as he is leaving?
3. Who is a cousin to Dr. Lorrimer?
4. What does Cliff Bradley ask Middlemass?
5. What do the men discuss at the murder scene?
Short Essay Questions
1. What does Mrs. Bidwell show Dalgliesh?
2. What does Nell do after her father has left the house?
3. What does Howarth talk to Dr. Lorrimer about and what is the outcome?
4. Why is Dr. Lorrimer's father calling and what does Brenda offer to do?
5. What upsets Director Howarth about Dr. Lorrimer?
6. Describe Dr. Kerrison.
7. Describe Adam Dalgliesh.
8. How do Angela Foley and Stella Mawson come to be living together?
9. Describe the conversation between Angela Foley and Adam Dalgliesh.
10. Describe Mrs. Bidwell.
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
Death of an Expert Witness belongs to the literary genre of mystery/detective fiction. Discuss the following:
1. Thoroughly define the term genre and offer examples of it from your own reading experience. Why do you think it is useful to categorize fiction into genres? What could be a disadvantage of doing so?
2. What do you think is the main motivation for a person to read a mystery and detective novel? Is entertainment a good enough reason? Are there any other reasons to read this genre? What? Explain fully.
3. In "academe," mystery/murder novels are often thought of as less literary than some other genres and for that reason are sometimes "snubbed" in the study of literature. Why do you think this is so? Do you agree with this "snobbery"?
Essay Topic 2
It is essential that details in a murder mystery be accurate and adequate to fulfill the plot. Discuss the following:
1. Trace and analyze the plot of Death of an Expert Witness. Explain what constitutes the exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and denouement or resolution. What details add to each aspect of the plot?
2. Analyze James's use of details. Where are there too much or too little details? What would be the consequence of too many details in a murder mystery? Of too little? Explain your ideas fully using examples from the text.
3. Do the details throughout the text support the resolution? Why or why not?
Essay Topic 3
The murder of Stella Mawson comes late in the book. Discuss the following:
1. How does the murder of Stella Mawson contribute to the basic plot line or not?
2. How different would Death of an Expert Witness be if Mawson has not been murdered?
3. How did you as a reader react to Mawson's murder? Explain thoroughly.
4. Most readers have heard of the term "gratuitous violence" when referring to violence that seems to be a part of a story for no good reason. Is this true of Mawson's murder? Explain your thoughts with examples.
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This section contains 1,165 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) |
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