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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 Cairo want Spade to help him find?

2. Who arrives at Spade's apartment in this chapter?

3. What have Polhaus and Dundy come to question Spade about?

4. What is Sam doing when his phone rings?

5. What motive does Iva think Spade had for killing Miles?

Short Essay Questions

1. In what way does the sixteenth chapter express the problems of its time?

2. Why is the thirteenth chapter titled Paloma?

3. How does Spade react to seeing the young man in the tenth chapter?

4. What does Spade tell Polhaus and Dundy at the end of the seventh chapter?

5. What does Sid Wise reveal about Iva in the twelfth chapter?

6. Why is the sixth chapter called the undersized shadow?

7. What was Brigid's relationship with Thursby?

8. How does Spade change Cairo's mind about not going along with his plan?

9. Describe Joel Cairo and what he wants.

10. Why is the fifth chapter call ed the Levantine?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare the characters of Sam Spade and Brigid.

1) In what way are their morals different?

2) What is their relationship to each other?

3) Do you think they are the perfect match?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the values of 1920s.

1) Why was greed and loyalty such an issue during this time?

2) In what ways are the characters negative characteristics are product of their time? Do you think America was going through a transitional phase in the the 1920s? What significant changes do you think occurred during this period?

3)Does modern society share any values with 1920s America?

Essay Topic 3

The novel is set in San Francisco.

1) What meaning does San Francisco bring to the novel? What would you automatically presume about a novel that was set in San Francisco?

2) How different do you think today's San Francisco is to the San Francisco in the novel? How do you think the novel's meaning would change if it were set in today's San Francisco?

3) How do you think the interior settings of the novel contribute to the novel's dark atmosphere?

(see the answer keys)

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