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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 position does Andy hold at the time Ben's body is discovered?

2. How does Andy say he feels about men of his father's generation?

3. Andy states that all lawyers feel the same way about the court system. How does he say lawyers feel about the court system?

4. Who accompanies Jacob to school the day it reopens after Ben's murder?

5. Ten days after Ben's murder, hundreds of volunteers gather at which park?

Short Essay Questions

1. Explain the significance of the chapter title "Mindfuck" (34).

2. What is posted on Facebook about a knife of Jacob's and by whom is it posted?

3. In relation to Ben's murder, when does Andy testify in front of the grand jury?

4. How is the email address of the mysterious link-sender used to demonstrate the major theme within the text?

5. Discuss the meaning of the epigraph for Part One of the novel.

6. What connection does Andy draw among "children, drunks, and schizophrenics" (129)?

7. What is the clue that points most markedly to Jacob's involvement in Ben's murder?

8. How is the motif of dreams and visions present within Chapter 3?

9. Discuss one coping mechanism Andy uses to get through Jacob's murder trial.

10. How is the theme of deception depicted within Andy's conversation with Sarah in Chapter 5?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze the shocking and unexpected ending of William Landay's novel Defending Jacob. What are the author's intentions for the ending's effects on the reader?

Essay Topic 2

What is the novel's message concerning violence and the human condition?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss how the themes of truth and lies are interwoven within the novel’s narrative.

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