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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. Where does Bigger first go after leaving his home the morning after Mary's murder?

2. What does Bigger contemplate while standing on the rooftop?

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

4. What does Bigger say when Bessie asks if he murdered Mary Dalton?

5. How does Mrs. Dalton look when she comes to Bigger's room to question him about Mary's disappearance?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe Bigger's treatment when he was finally caught.

2. What is the one problem Bigger feels he has to do before he will be okay?

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

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

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

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

7. What was Bigger's fatal mistake in his plan to dispose of Mary's body?

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

9. Bigger was very much interested in reading about himself in the newspapers. Of what significance was this?

10. How did Bigger feel about killing Bessie?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay on the way the author, Richard Wright wrote this story, demonstrates both sides of the "nature versus nurture" theory. This is particularly strong when Max testifies to the court about Bigger's life. In the essay describe various parts of the story and how they reinforce both aspects of the theory.

Essay Topic 3

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?

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