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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 described as the entire network of mafia connections that lives in the shadow of the church?

2. What does the old man say a man should do if he finds out his wife is cheating on him in Section 4?

3. Where is the opening scene of the book located?

4. What does the man who comes to talk to the police in Section 5 accuse them of treating one of the men they arrested?

5. What happens to the passengers on the bus after a man is shot at the beginning of the book?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Mrs. Nicolosi reveal to police regarding a nickname in Section 3?

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

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

4. What does Mrs. Nicolosi tell police regarding her husband's actions on the day Salvatore was murdered?

5. What is the nature of the conversation between two Sicilian men at the beginning of Section 2?

6. What is the nature of the information Little Priest gives to the captain in Section 2?

7. Why does Little Priest feel guilty at the beginning of Section 5?

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

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Examine the concept of guilt that is presented in the book through characters like Little Priest. Why does this emotion so rarely appear in the book and what role might that have in better understanding the nature of the mafia?

Essay Topic 2

Examine the important role religion played in the lives of the mafia members in the book. Why do you think the mafia chose to stress such importance on religion given their violent and unethical actions in every aspect of their lives?

Essay Topic 3

Examine the author's portrayal of the confession in the book. How does the author portray the level of desperation felt by police based on the way they obtain confessions from the mafia in the book?

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