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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 did John first meet the Gordons?

2. How old is Tobin's housekeeper?

3. Where do Emma and John go to dinner in Chapter 23?

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

5. Where does John eat lunch in Chapter 27?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does John and Beth suppose that Tobin planned to do with the skeleton they found in his cellar?

2. How do Beth and John survive the storm and keep from freezing?

3. What convinces John that Stevens is part of the plot to assassinate the Gordons?

4. After speaking with the Murphys in Chapter 17, why is John more suspicious of Tobin?

5. Describe the appearance of Emma Whitestone.

6. When Beth and John do a quick inventory of wounds in Chapter 35, what wounds have they both sustained?

7. Why didn't Margaret Wiley initially want to sell the land to the Gordons?

8. After the Gordons' bodies were examined, what were some clues that they were doing something manual before their deaths?

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

10. What bad news does Beth bring to John on Monday morning?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Throughout the novel, John and Beth's relationship changes dramatically several times. Using textual examples, describe how the shifts in their relationship resonate with the themes of love, lust, judgment, and redemption.

Essay Topic 2

In Plum Island, DeMille highlights several different strong female figures who go outside of the norm of typical gender roles; for example, Beth and Emma. Using at least two main characters from the novel, discuss what commentary DeMille is making about gender roles.

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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