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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 Decker shares the news that Curl has Catherine, who blames himself for Curl's kidnapping of Catherine?

2. In what venue does Charles Weeb announce that Ed Spurling will be the new host of Fish Fever?

3. Who enrolls in the Dickie Lockhart Memorial Bass Tournament posing as brothers?

4. Whose boat is the last one to reach the dock for the weigh-in at the New Orleans bass tournament?

5. How do Skink and Decker evade the police when the police show up at Decker's "safe house"?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Dickie Lockhart have a closed coffin at his funeral?

2. What does Lanie share with the police in her statement?

3. Describe Charles Weeb's boyhood, as revealed in his official church biography.

4. At the New Orleans bass fishing tournament, what does the angler with the biggest fish receive?

5. What is eerily familiar to Decker about the dead body that he finds on his way back to Hammond that reminds him of Ott Pickney?

6. After Decker is awakened in his Miami trailer by the telephone ringing, what does he expect that his visitor will be bringing to him?

7. At the New Orleans bass fishing tournament, what does the angler with the heaviest stringer receive?

8. When Lanie is being questioned by Tile and Decker, she admits lying to the police. Why does Lanie lie to the police?

9. Describe the injuries that Jim Tile inflicts on one of his attackers when the attacker points a gun at Tile.

10. When Weeb realizes that two of the contestants in his fishing tournament are minorities, why is Weeb upset?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

There is no doubt that Decker is greatly affected by the abduction of his ex-wife. Discuss how Catherine's abduction affects not only Decker's worldview, but his determination to pursue Catherine's abductor. How does Catherine's abduction affect Decker's mental state, his ability to reason, and his ability to continue on?

Essay Topic 2

In many ways, the novel is a series of contrasts designed to heighten the reader's awareness, draw the reader deeper into the story, and the intricacies of each of the story's characters. Identify at least three contrasts that are used in the novel. Describe these contrasts and determine how they impact the story's plot, as well as the reader's emotional involvement in the characters' lives. If these identified contrasts were not included in the story, what impact would their absence have on the storyline, the characters' development, and the readers' involvement?

Essay Topic 3

Compare and contrast the characteristics, roles, loyalties, and agendas of the following people in the story: R.J. Decker, Skink, Dickie Lockhart, Charles Weeb, and Thomas Curl.

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