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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. Whose side of the murder story is told first in Section 7?

2. What does the man Captain Bellodi meets in Section 8 tell him his dog's name means?

3. What is the name of the woman Captain Bellodi and his childhood friend run into on the street in Section 10?

4. Who is eventually charged with Nicolosi's murder in Section 10?

5. Who tells the man watching the interview from the captain's office that his friend is telling the police everything?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does the captain do after the mafia get away with murder in Section 10?

2. What is the nature of the police's first interrogation of Pizzuco in Section 6 of the book?

3. What is the nature of the captain's story regarding a prison medic in Section 10?

4. Why does Pizzuco tell the police he didn't come to them with information regarding Salvatore's murder at the end of Section 7?

5. How does Pizzuco claim Marchica fooled him into helping him get away with murder?

6. How does the farmer the captain meets in Section 8 describe the meaning of his dog's name?

7. What happens when a woman named Livia invites the captain and his friend to her house in Parma?

8. How does Don Arena react when the police show him Marchica's confession in Section 9?

9. What is the nature of the confession the police show to Marchica in Section 6?

10. How does Pizzuco react when the police show him Marchica's confession?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

Discuss the author's portrayal of violence in the book. What role does violence play in the success of the mafia and what impact does this have on the nature of Sicilians in the book?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the nature of the author's choice for the book's layout, namely having the climax comes in the opening scene. How does this make you view the plot differently than you normally would, especially given the fact that there will be no conflict needed to build a climax?

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