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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 does the captain suggest all of the building contractors in their area had done that the man who died had not?

2. Who does the sergeant major believe knows everyone in town and goes to question in Section 3?

3. At what time do the police believe the murderer would have been running down the street after the shooting?

4. How do many of the bus passengers describe their seat window on the day of the shooting to police?

5. What does the captain watch during the informant's interview despite believing he is lying?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the nature of the speech a man gives to the police regarding Don Arena in Section 5?

2. Why does the police captain tell Giuseppe he believes his brother was shot in Section 1?

3. How do the employees of a sulphur mine react after not being paid for three months?

4. What is the nature of the two men's conversation regarding communism at the beginning of Section 3?

5. Why does the captain ask the men of the Santa Fara Co-op to write down their names and addresses at the end of Section 1?

6. What does an old man decide Marchica should do at the end of Section 4?

7. How is the captain able to get reliable information from Little Priest in Section 2 despite knowing he was lying to him?

8. What do police do after receiving Little Priest's letter in Section 5?

9. How is Little Priest's quality of life described while working as a police informant?

10. How does an old man say a man becomes cuckolded in Section 4?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the author's portrayal of politics in the book, namely his discussions on fascism, communism and socialism. What role does politics appear to be playing in Sicilian society at the time this book was written and what does the author appear to feel towards politics?

Essay Topic 2

Compare and contrast the characters Captain Bellodi and Don Arena in the book. How does the author draw similarities in these two characters during the don's interrogation and what do you think he may be suggesting about the nature of Sicilian's based on this portrayal?

Essay Topic 3

Compare and contrast the author's use of both psychological themes alongside realistic observations. How does the author's mixing of these two methods add complexity to the story and what are you able to learn after being given these two observations?

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This section contains 776 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample