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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 is a Hermes Baby?

2. What kind of boat did Tom work on?

3. Where did Tom's parents drown?

4. What kind of face does Tom think he has?

5. What color pants does Dickie wear?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Carlo want two people to ride to Paris in a coffin?

2. How does Tom know Charlie Schriever?

3. What lie does Tom tell Mr. Greenleaf?

4. What does Tom think is an average day for Dickie and Marge?

5. In what way is Tom's new cap versatile?

6. Why does Tom feel proud of the work he has done for Mr. Greenleaf?

7. Why does Tom immediately hate Marge?

8. How does Dickie react when Tom tells him his father sent him to bring Dickie home?

9. What brings tears to Tom's eyes?

10. How does the morning Tom sets sail start off badly for him?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Why does Tom hate himself? How much is this self-hatred responsible for Tom's actions so far in the book?

Essay Topic 2

Highsmith writes the THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY in the third person. Why do you think Highsmith chose to write the story in the third person? How do you think the meaning of the story would have changed if Highsmith wrote it in the first person?

Essay Topic 3

Why does Highsmith set the novel in Europe? How different was Europe to America in the fifties? How does Highsmith express these differences in the novel?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 668 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample