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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 Steve say happens at breakfast in the prologue?

2. Who calls Steve "youngblood" in the screenplay following the note of Tuesday, July 7?

3. Where does the exterior shot take place in the screenplay following the note of Tuesday, July 7?

4. What does Wendell Bolton say he gave his mother for Christmas?

5. What is the name of the "guy who is going on trial for killing his wife" whom Steve knows in prison?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. In his journal notes for Tuesday, July 7, why does Steve say he needs to keep thinking of the movie?

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

5. When Steve decides to write a movie, what does he say it will be a story of?

6. When does Steve say he feels most involved with his case?

7. What is so shocking about Steve's father crying?

8. In the first journal entry, why does Steve say he does not recognize himself?

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

10. What does Steve say about why he thinks Petrocelli is using Bolden's testimony?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The narrative style of this novel is rather unique. Write an analytical essay that describes and analyzes the particular method Walter Dean Myers uses in Steve's journal entries to establish and communicate this point-of-view. In addition, what are the narrative benefits of such a point-of-view? How do these journal entries most effectively tell those parts of the story?

Essay Topic 2

The time line and time frame of this novel are not chronological, but are told rather in flashbacks. Pick at least three specific examples of flashbacks in this book. With each example, describe and contextualize what came before it and what came after it. In addition, write analytical descriptions of the flashbacks. Be sure to include in your analysis why Myers chose to convey this specific information in flashback structure rather than in chronological order. What does the specific structure of each flashback add to the memory that Myers could not achieve with chronological order?

Essay Topic 3

Some critics might read this novel as a coming of age story, in which Steve's maturation from young man or boy to mature man is one of the themes. In an analytical essay, describe the process of Steve's maturation and development, using specific examples from the book.

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