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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 Bigger daydream about during the second movie?

2. What does Bigger realize after Mrs. Dalton leaves Mary's bedroom?

3. What is Vera doing at the YWCA?

4. What does Bigger do after he puts Mary to bed?

5. Where does Bigger take the trunk with the body inside?

Short Essay Questions

1. After all the gory details of the way he disposed of Mary's body, how was Bigger reacting?

2. Why did Bigger want to kill the cat?

3. How does Bigger really feel about holding up Blum's Delicatessen?

4. How does Bigger feel about his family?

5. Why does Bigger panic when Mrs. Dalton enters Mary's room while he is in there?

6. Explain the game, "White," that Bigger and his friends played.

7. What did he find outside near the car on the night of Mary's death, and what did he do with it?

8. What does it mean about Bigger "Feeling his blackness," even more after Mary Dalton and Jan Erlone's attempts at being friendly?

9. Why does Bigger get so angry and violent with Gus when he says he'll go along with the robbery?

10. After Bigger realized Mary was dead, why didn't he even consider just telling the truth?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

At the very end of the story Max is upset when Bigger comes to the conclusion that it must have been good that he killed. In an essay explain Bigger's reasoning and how he came to that conclusion. Also explain what Max is trying to make Bigger understand after he comes to this conclusion. Why might the two men have different views on this subject?

Essay Topic 2

Fear, Flight and Fate Themes:

Write an essay about the way each of these themes were demonstrated in the story. Did any of them intertwine? If so, when/how?

Essay Topic 3

There are places in the story where Bigger demonstrates a keen ability to visualize a situation ahead of time to evaluate the outcomes. Was this an advantage or disadvantage to him in the story? Give examples in the essay.

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