View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Brigid want to know about Spade's meeting with Cairo?

2. How much money does Brigid give Spade?

3. Who does Cairo point his gun at?

4. Whose murder do the officers question Spade about?

5. What does Spade do immediately after the call?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Spade think it is a good idea to use a fall guy?

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

3. Describe the story Gutman tell in the Russian's Hand.

4. How does SPade calm Brigid down in the tenth chapter?

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

6. How was the falcon made?

7. How does Spade react to Iva's presence in the second chapter?

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

9. What happens when Spade returns to his apartment in the second chapter?

10. In what way does Spade choose loyalty over Brigid in the final chapter?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss whether you think this statement is true or false: The Maltese Falcon depicts women in a negative light. Use two examples from the novel to support your argument.

Essay Topic 2

Examine Hammett's writing style. How would you describe Hammett's prose style? What kind of vocabulary does he use? Does he use any specific writing techniques? What meaning does Hammett's style give to the story?

Essay Topic 3

Examine the novel's chronological setting.

1) What were the main concerns during the 1920s. How does Hammett express these concerns?

2) In what ways do you think the novels meaning would change if it was set in today's society?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 757 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample