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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 think that Corvo--the DEA agent from L.A.--is acting so lively in Chapter 28?

2. Why is the DEA agent--Corvo--reluctant to talk to Harry in Chapter 17?

3. Assistant Chief Irving is upset that the department might be burying a drug dealer instead of Cal Moore. How does Harry calm him down?

4. What causes Harry to realize that he might be able to trust Aguila?

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

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. Why does Harry cancel his hotel room in Calexico after he talks to his colleagues in Hollywood?

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

5. What is the clue at the beginning of Chapter 31 that Harry almost missed, and who finds it instead?

6. What does Dance look like in the photograph Harry has brought with him to Mexico?

7. How does Harry recognize Corvo at the bar in Chapter 17?

8. What does Harry tell the man at the historical society and what is Harry really doing there?

9. In Chapter 32, how does Harry know that Moore is in residence in the house at Coyote Trail?

10. What does Moore look like, when Harry finds him standing in the mirror?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

This novel is representative of a genre of literature that shares certain conventions. Identify at least 4 mystery genre conventions and describe the ways in which this text does or does not conform to these conventions. Be sure to use explicit textual evidence to support your claims and definitions.

Essay Topic 2

Considering Anzaldua's way of reading the border and the theory of contact zones, write an essay that explains these two terms. Drawing on the roles--as setting, as symbol, as plot device, as mood--the borderline plays in this novel, offer a detailed, text-based analysis of this way of reading. You should pick at least 5 fictional elements to describe, using textual examples.

Essay Topic 3

Point of view technique mediates the flow of information between author and reader. Write an essay that analyzes the point of view of this novel. Offer detailed descriptions of how the narrative voice actually tells the story. Finally, critique the point of view by offering your analytical opinion about how it enhanced (or did not enhance) the novel.

(see the answer keys)

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