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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. On what date does John tell Emma his divorce becomes final?

2. What is remarkable about Maragaret Wiley's ancestors?

3. When Beth asks John what information he has uncovered in Chapter 26, how does he respond?

4. Why is John frustrated when he hears a new official statement about the Gordons on the radio, citing their theft of a vaccine?

5. What is wrong with the Murphy's key to the Gordon house?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why is Tobin's housekeeper so frightened when Beth and John arrive?

2. What dangers do John and Beth face out at sea in Chapter 34?

3. What reason does Emma give for her short relationship with Tobin?

4. What information does the letter from the Gordons contain in Chapter 37?

5. When John attempts to kiss Beth in Chapter 15, how does she respond?

6. How does John trick Stevens into coming back to his house in Connecticut?

7. What injuries does John inflict upon Tobin in Chapter 36?

8. What does Beth discuss with Dom in Chapter 30?

9. After Beth and Emma have coffee together in Chapter 24, what is the mood of both women?

10. Describe Fredric Tobin's winery that John visits in Chapter 16.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In the preface, DeMille quote Benjamin Franklin, "Three may keep a secret, if two of them are dead." Later in the novel, Beth also quotes this line. Discuss how this quote is a metaphor for the novel using specific textual evidence.

Essay Topic 2

Throughout Plum Island, there are several journeys made both on sea and by land by different characters. Discuss at least two specific journeys and how they could be viewed as extended metaphors for character development of the characters who undertake these journeys.

Essay Topic 3

Duty is a theme throughout Plum Island. Discuss three different character's views of duty and how they are exhibited by their statements and actions. Based on these accounts of duty, does DeMille create an overarching definition of what duty is?

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