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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. Why does Harry find the symbolism behind Cal Moore's tattoo meaningful?

2. Moore thinks that no one in the LAPD will want to know the truth about how he staged his own death. Why?

3. How does Harry get Corvo to sit down and talk to him?

4. What problem does Harry identify in Chapter 28 that every cop in California runs into?

5. Why do Harry and Aguila go to the airport in Chapter 28?

Short Essay Questions

1. What kind of evidence does Harry collect at Juan Doe's apartment and how does he do it?

2. Why did many day laborers at the circle refuse to work at EnviroBreed?

3. How does Harry bypass the security in Cal Moore's building in Chapter 18?

4. What did the bullfighter, Silvestri, look like when he entered the arena?

5. What does the EnviroBreed building look like?

6. How did Moore switch his own fingerprints?

7. Why, when people are killed accidentally at EnviroBreed, does Harry suspect they are shipped across the border illegally?

8. What does Calexico look like, according to the narrator?

9. How did Aguila decide to report the missing person who ended up Juan Doe, when Mexico does not even have a missing persons bureau?

10. How and where does Harry find the histories of Calexico?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

There are only a couple of women characters in this novel. Choose either Teresa Corazon or Sylvia Moore and construct a critique of her characterization. This essay should include 1) a description of the major techniques Connolly uses to characterize her, 2) the role she plays in the plot and conflict structure of the book, 3) her relationship to Harry, the hero of the series, and 4) your opinion of the character. Be sure to use specific textual evidence to build an argument for your interpretation.

Essay Topic 2

A satisfying mystery must keep tension up to draw interest, but also withhold information from the reader in order to make the mystery "pay off." One primary way a mystery author can achieve this balance is through clues released along the way. Write an essay that explains and interrogates at least three key clues Michael Connelly's character uses to solve the mystery. Questions to consider include: how does Harry find the clue? What mental leap must he make to put it together with other information? How satisfying is it for the reader? Is the pay off of the solve great enough to justify these clues?

Essay Topic 3

Tunnels and a castle play important plot roles in this story, but also serve a symbolic function. In a detailed analysis, describe how the reader encounters each symbol, what the symbols mean, if they change in meaning as the plot progresses, and what each has to do with the character of Cal Moore.

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