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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. In the screenplay scene Steve writes just after his mother leaves, what does King say he "just needs" in order to commit the robbery?

2. How many guys go to the church service on Sunday, July 12th?

3. What happened to the object Bobo gave Moore the day he came to visit her?

4. How is Moore related to Bobo?

5. What does Petrocelli say about Bobo's attire when he comes into the courtroom to testify?

Short Essay Questions

1. What has O'Brien asked Steve to do when his response is to write down Mr. Sawicki's name twice?

2. Why did King visit Ms. Moore on the day of the crime?

3. How do Steve's parents act when they come to visit on Sunday the 12th?

4. When O'Brien comes to see Steve on July 14 after Bobo's testimony, what does she say she has to now do in court to save Steve?

5. Describe the type of music Steve writes in his journal on July 17th that he is going to put on the soundtrack of his film.

6. What does Steve realize about why there are so many fights in prison after church on Sunday, July 12?

7. When Briggs questions Henry about identifying King, what does she admit about the photographs the police showed her?

8. How do readers know what Steve's verdict is, based on the screenplay?

9. What happens when Steve is made to mop the floor?

10. Once each lawyer has rested her case, Steve writes in his journal on Friday, July 17 that it's understandable why other prisoners are obsessed with appeals. What does he realize about their obsession?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What does this novel communicate to the reader about personal responsibility and guilt? Write an analysis describing and investigating what Myers thinks about these two issues. Be sure to offer working definitions of each, personal responsibility as well as guilt, and determine, through specific and explicit textual analysis, the ways in which these two issues are similar to each other and/or differ from each other.

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

Life in prison is a big adjustment for Steve, and has a major impact on the way he feels about himself. Describe the details of prison life that most affect Steve, including specific examples from the text. You should include information and analysis on how prison changes Steve and/or does not change him.

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