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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 do the police want Dickie to return to?

2. What is Marge's surname?

3. Who is arriving in Rome at noon?

4. What is the name of the boat Tom takes to Greece?

5. Who does Tom not want to go to Greece as?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Tom read in the newspapers in Chapter 30?

2. Why can Tom not tell Marge what he really thinks about the party?

3. What reason does Tom give for Dickie being despondent?

4. Why does Tom think Marge is so friendly to Mr. Greenleaf?

5. What does Marge say in her letter to Dickie?

6. What did a man see outside of Dickie's apartment?

7. What does Marge think about the situation with Dickie?

8. How does Tom exaggerate the Tom Ripley persona?

9. How does Mr. Greeleaf react when Marge tells him about Dickie's rings?

10. Why does Marge think that Dickie's signature must have changed?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Examine violence in the novel.

1) How do the characters in the novel view violence? Are there are character that would think twice before shooting or hitting someone?

2) Do the characters need to be violent to cope in the world that Highsmith portrays?

3) How do the students think the public reacted to the novel's violence when it was first published? How would the public react to such a book today?

Essay Topic 2

The Ripley books greatly influenced modern literature and, in particular, crime books. Choose a book written after the novel that you think was influenced by it and discuss their similarities in terms of:

a) Plot

b) Character

c) Themes

Essay Topic 3

Look at the structure of the novel.

1) How does Highsmith use character and dialogue to drive the narrative?

2) Discuss elements of the narrative structure: Exposition, conflict, complication, climax, resolution and conclusion. Do all the elements make for a logical and linear story? How does the story's structure express the novel's themes?

3) Aside from the main character ,examine the way Highsmith uses the other characters in the story. When does she introduce and take them away from the story? What effect does it have on the story?

(see the answer keys)

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