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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 his last conscious thought of when he is beaten?

2. What has Allie been told about Maggie?

3. What theatre holds the premiere of Primrose?

4. What kind of car did Peter O'Malley arrive in?

5. Who was the lawyer that came to see Maggie about Patrick's will?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Will's demeanor when Palmer enters his room in Rio?

2. What does Peter say on the stand that he hopes will hang Maggie?

3. What does Palmer offer to do and why?

4. How does Will handle his premiere of Primrose?

5. What effect does this information have on Maggie's conviction?

6. What does Maggie learn in Tarrytown that rattles her?

7. What is Will's emotional state after the premiere and once he has returned home?

8. What mistake does Suzanne make when the shooting for Primrose is over?

9. How long after Patrick's death does Nathan Bailford wait before going to see Maggie and why does he finally go?

10. What does Norma finally get the groundskeeper from the Lake Club to admit?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Parents are often willing to make extreme sacrifices for their children. In this novel, what examples of this are found? What is the basis for the connection that enables a parent to make an ultimate sacrifice for the sake of their child? Is this a normal or usual relationship? Would any parent be willing to make this sacrifice or does this require a special circumstance or balance between the child and the parent? Is this more likely to be the case where the parent is single with children? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

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 3

How can a child's development play a large role in the adult he/she becomes? In Will's case, childhood trauma goes largely unaddressed and leaves an angry and confused child to find ways to cope on his own. He does so with anger and abuse. How might this all have been avoided, if at all? What kinds of treatment should Will have received right from the start? How common do you believe untreated childhood trauma is? How likely is this to be the precursor for a life of crime or abuse? How many people dropped the ball in Will's life and in what way might they have helped him?

(see the answer keys)

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