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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 is the name of the hotel in which Letch and his partner, Westbrook, catch Dawn?

2. Who comes to Fortney and Leeds’ rescue in Chapter 5?

3. What is the clincher that gets Simon excited in Chapter 6?

4. Why is Blaze concerned about Ambrose changing their meet-up location?

5. What does the Black man hiding in the shadows outside Dawn’s apartment do after Letch leaves Dawn’s apartment?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Fortney think Blaze should have been a cop if she is not one already?

2. Why is the role of the Keeper of the Cup so important to the Keeper?

3. How does the thought of losing the Cup feel to the Keeper of the Cup?

4. How does Letch try to help Dawn?

5. What does Letch do to deal with his neighbor’s annoying dog?

6. Why do the Harbor Unit cops not like lifeguards?

7. How does Norman Boggs get the nickname Letch?

8. What are the two Cup races described at the beginning of Chapter 4?

9. What makes wrecking the Kiwi boat difficult?

10. What takes place at the Saturday-evening cocktail party that Ambrose attends?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Floaters was written and takes place n the mid-1990s. What are details from the story that reveal this? Do you find the story dated because of these details? Why or why not? If you were Wambaugh, would you update the novel to present-day? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

Serenity Jones is a madam in Floaters. How does Wambaugh show her humanity? What other characters are initially off-putting but grow on you, as the reader? What might be Wambaugh's reasons for doing this? What does this show about him as both a writer and a former police officer?

Essay Topic 3

How did you feel when you read the part of Floaters in which Dawn is murdered? How does this compare to when Blaze is murdered? Did you feel the same way? Why or why not? Were you prepared for either of these murders? Why or why not? How might this play into how you felt during the murders?

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