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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 does Eleanor do after the house is empty of others?

2. Who calls on the phone?

3. Where do the men want to go?

4. Who is the last one to arrive at the Hilliard home?

5. What does Dan want to do?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Ralphie do while everyone's attention is on Cindy?

2. What is it about the man at the door that puzzles Eleanor?

3. What does Bard tell Dan about Dan's feelings?

4. Who knocks at the door of the Hilliard's house and what does he do?

5. What does Ralphie do when he comes home?

6. What does Carson tell Bard about his behavior?

7. What does Griffin say that makes Hank angry?

8. How does the atmosphere at the Indianapolis sheriff's department appear at the beginning of the play and what changes that?

9. What do the police know about Flick and what does Bard order?

10. What does Robish taunt Griffin about?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

When Cindy first arrives home after the three convicts have taken control of the home, she realizes the situation and almost runs, but Griffin stops her with the threat that he will kill Eleanor if Cindy tries to leave. Answer the following questions in a well-developed essay using examples from the book as well as personal experience:

1. Would you run or stay if you were Cindy? Consider that it is possible the convicts would kill you along with your mother no matter what they say. Explain your rationale.

2. If you were Eleanor, would you want your daughter to run, even if it means your death? Explain.

3. Later in the story, the young boy of the household, Ralphie, does try to leave, though he is caught by Robish. Why do you think Ralphie tries to run; whereas, Cindy decides to enter the house and voluntarily become a hostage?

Essay Topic 2

Tensions begin to mount halfway through Act 2, and Griffin seems to be losing control of the other two convicts. Answer the following questions in a well-developed essay using examples from the book as well as personal experience:

1. Do you think the other two men had originally decided that Griffin was their leader? How do you think it was determined who took charge?

2. Who is in charge of the Hilliard family? Why do you think this is so? Do you think the dynamics of the family would be different in the 21st century? Would the same person still be in charge?

3. Who else in the book seems to demonstrate leadership qualities besides Dan and Glen? Does anyone?

Essay Topic 3

Desperate Hours belongs to the genre of drama. Answer the following questions in a well-developed essay using examples from the book as well as personal experience:

1. What do you think is the definition of drama? Write out your definition and then look up the definition in a literary dictionary. How similar are the two definitions?

2. Drama is written with the intention that it will be performed. How do you think this influences the manner in which the plot unfolds, the dialogue, the set complexity, the number of characters, and the length?

3. Compare Desperate Hours to a short story, such as "A Good Man is Hard to Find," by Flannery O'Conner. What are the differences? The similarities? Which do you enjoy reading the most?

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