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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 time of day does Steve say someone in prison might get beaten up for sniffling?

2. According to Osvaldo, how old is he?

3. In the credits in Chapter 1, James King is credited as what?

4. Where does "Woman 1" say she thinks the "old man who owned the place" is from?

5. Why does the prisoner who wants to read Steve's screenplay say he likes the screenplay?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the kind of movie Steve says it feels as if he has stepped into?

2. What does James King look like on the first day of the trial?

3. What kind of knife does one prisoner have? Describe it.

4. Why is Steve's stomach upset on Wednesday, July 8?

5. What does Steve say in his journal for Tuesday, July 7, that all the other prisoners are always talking about?

6. How does the typeface of Steve's journal entries indicate stress or special meaning on certain words?

7. Why does the first shot of the movie (Monday, July 6) feature Steve lying with the blanket over his head?

8. How can Steve's lawyer be described?

9. In the prologue, Steve says "they say you get used to being in jail." What is Steve's take on this passage?

10. What does Steve think his father's crying means?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Walter Dean Myers uses film and a screenplay format not only as a narrative mode, but also as a metaphor and symbol in Steve's life. In an analytical essay explaining how film works literally as well as symbolically in this novel, describe the ways in which "film" plays an important role in Steve's life. What are some of the things that characterize the role film plays?

Essay Topic 2

The fact that Steve is African American plays an important role in the way his court case seems to go, as well as in the way he feels about himself. Describe and analyze the role that race plays in this narrative. You may want to include examples from other characters, white and black, to make your case.

Essay Topic 3

A major theme of this book is identity, particularly how Steve's identity is constructed or maintained. Write an analytical essay considering the ways in which Walter Dean Myers makes identity a theme. What are the symbolic or linguistic strategies Myers has employed to communicate and investigate Steve's identity? Be sure to offer a descriptive analysis of Steve's identity and identity crisis, using specific examples.

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