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

Short Answer Questions

1. Who frisks spade?

2. Who enters as Spade is about to leave his office?

3. How many time did Iva go to Sam's apartment the night Miles was killed?

4. Who does Spade want as the fall guy?

5. What hotel does Spade drive to in this chapter?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In 1942 The Maltese Falcon was made into a famous film noir film starring Humphrey Bogart and directed by John Huston. Why do you think the themes and ideas in the book were still relevant ten years later? Do you think the ideas are timeless and universal? What is it about the novel that enabled it to be made into one of the finest examples of film noir?

Essay Topic 2

Hammett was a communist. Using two examples from the novel discuss the ways the story reflects Hammett's political ideas?

Essay Topic 3

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?

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This section contains 204 words (approx. 1 page at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample