View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What keeps stopping Bigger from shaking down the ashes in the furnace?
(a) He wants to make sure Mary's body is completely burned.
(b) Fear and dread
(c) He doesn't know the ashes need to be removed.
(d) He is afraid of burning himself.

2. What does Bigger contemplate while standing on the rooftop?
(a) Trying to jump to the next building.
(b) Trying to look for a fire escape.
(c) Jumping to his death.
(d) Shooting himself.

3. Bigger finally shakes down the ashes, but he doesn't remove them from the furnace, he just adds more coal. What happens then?
(a) The room fill with smoke so Bigger has to get a fan to blow it out the basement window.
(b) The fire goes out and Bigger must restart it.
(c) The fire is smothered and the basement fills with smoke.
(d) The fire starts to get hot again.

4. After he recalls killing Mary Dalton, what did Bigger realize he left in plain sight of his mother and his siblings?
(a) Mary's purse
(b) The pamphlets Jan gave him
(c) The knife
(d) His bloody clothing

5. What does Jan Erlone think when he hears Bigger's lie about him?
(a) That Bigger is the person responsible for Mary's disappearance.
(b) That Mr. Dalton, Britten and Bigger just hate communists.
(c) That they are all crazy and should be looking for Mary instead of questioning him.
(d) That Mr. Dalton and Britten are making Bigger lie.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Bigger give his friends when he sees them the morning after Mary's murder?

2. After Bigger returns to the Dalton home with Mary's trunk, he again goes to check the furnace. Who interrupts him?

3. How much money does Bigger show Bessie to try to impress her?

4. What happens when Britten backs Bigger against the wall and grabs his collar asking him about the pamphlets Jan Erlone gave him?

5. What does Bigger finally do after wandering the streets looking for food and shelter?

Short Essay Questions

1. When did Bigger realize how quickly news was going to spread that he had killed Mary?

2. What is the Loeb and Leopold case that gave Bigger the idea to pretend Mary was kidnapped and collect a ransom?

3. What deterred the Daltons from being excessively concerned when they found Mary wasn't in the house the morning after she was murdered?

4. What did Bigger's brother, Buddy, have to say to him?

5. What kind of power did Bigger have over Bessie that she continued to obey his direction even though she knew it was wrong?

6. What was Bessie's reaction when Bigger arrived at her apartment the morning after the murder of Mary?

7. In Book two, what does Bigger do at the drug store?

8. Why did Bigger decide to try to blame Jan and the Communist Party for the kidnapping?

9. What was the argument Bigger had with his family as he tried to pack his things the day after Mary's death?

10. Although Bigger was very quick with his deceit and able to think on his feet, so to speak, in what way was he becoming his own worst enemy?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,060 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample