View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Where was Jack Flynn kidnapped from in 1956?

2. What is Loudermilk eating when he is murdered?

3. What does Robicheaux find in the glass jar?

4. What does AIM stand for?

5. Where do Robicheaux and Purcel look for Scruggs?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the story Robicheaux tells about a young black boy in Mississippi?

2. What does Boxleiter tell Robicheaux about Flynn's murder in this section?

3. What happens to Father Mulcahy on the house boat?

4. What does Robicheaux think of Megan Flynn's photographs?

5. Why does Lila feel guilty about her cousin's murder?

6. Describe the meeting between Lila, Archer and Robicheaux in Chapter 29.

7. What does Robicheaux find out from Scruggs when he questions him?

8. Describe the photographs Robicheaux finds in the glass jar.

9. Why does Robicheaux think Scuggs killed Boxleiter?

10. How does Purcel beat up up Scarlotti and his men?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What kind of family life does Robicheaux have? How is the different to the family lives of other fictional detectives? In what way does Robicheaux's family life have a positive affect on his life and work?

Essay Topic 2

Examine the author's writing style. How would you describe the author's prose style? What kind of vocabulary does he use? What meaning does the author's style give to the story?

Essay Topic 3

Why does the author decide to leave most of the issues in the novel unresolved? What affect does it have on the the story's tone?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 681 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample