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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 did he teach at the West Point Academy?

2. What does he begin doing during his off season time?

3. What is the name of the studio Barbra Streisand records "Loss of Grace" in?

4. How old was Will when he played his first football game?

5. How did Maggie's mother die?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Maggie make the decision to shoot Phillip?

2. How does Winnie Lawrence convince Will to play for the American team even though Will is convinced they don't have a chance?

3. When Will becomes ill at the age of fourteen, who surprises him by looking after him?

4. How does Barry respond to the songs that Maggie sings in her audition for him?

5. Who records Maggie's song first and how does Maggie feel about it?

6. Why has Maggie decided to write her story?

7. How does Will's new headmaster at Fulham Road Primary School describe Will?

8. What does Maggie discuss with Dr. Green?

9. What happens when Will is six that changes him forever?

10. What is it about Victoria Lansdowne that contributes to the fact that Will rapes her?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In this novel, Will exhibits an instinct for luring in women by telling them what they want or need to hear in order to get them into bed. How do instincts play a role in human beings where their survival is concerned? What instinctive quality do we all have that enables us to survive? What conditions might cause us to ignore this instinct? Under what conditions might you ignore a survival instinct?

Essay Topic 2

What is justifiable homicide? In which cases should prosecution be avoided entirely? Maggie is put on trial when it is believed that her third husband dies at her hand. How likely is it that victims of abuse end up in abuse relationships again? What are the relationship dynamics that would draw a person back into this kind of situation again? How common is it for victims of abuse to seek out abusive partners unconsciously again? Why?

Essay Topic 3

Insanity is a plea often used in the court system. What qualifies as an insanity defense? Could Maggie have claimed temporary insanity as a defense in the killing of Patrick or Will? If so, why? How is the defense preferable for the person convicted? Compare a guilty verdict to a guilty verdict by reason of insanity? What are the similarities and what are the differences? How might Will have used this defense had he been required to for Palmer's murder or for the attempted murder of Maggie and her children?

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