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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. Why does Ambrose begin to sob when he sees that Blaze’s name was Mary Ellen Singleton?

2. What does Fortney want to find out before he leaves the bar?

3. Who lets Letch know that Oliver Mantleberry has been asking about Dawn’s whereabouts?

4. How does Fortney know that Blaze is the floater?

5. How does Ambrose sleep after watching the regatta race on television?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who do the cops think murdered Blaze and why?

2. Why does Blaze Duvall spend most of her time in her hotel room on Shelter Island?

3. Why does Rudolph give Dawn’s location to Oliver?

4. Why does Ambrose kill Blaze?

5. What does Blaze believe she hears outside her apartment? What makes her realize she is wrong?

6. Why does Blaze hurriedly pack and leave her apartment?

7. What does Ambrose hope for, if the Black Magic can be destroyed?

8. Why does Blaze call Simon from her hotel room?

9. Why had Anne Zorn ended up in several bad marriages?

10. How does Miles surprise and irritate Blaze?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Derogatory terms are used throughout Floaters. Why does Wambaugh do this? Is it necessary? Why or why not? How does this language affect the reader? Would the characters be as real if the language was more politically correct and less demeaning? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

Although the police work very hard to solve the two murder mysteries, they never bring the murderers to justice. Why are they never able to catch the killers? What does this say about the police force? Since Wambaugh is a retired police officer, how is this even more telling?

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?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 922 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample