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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 does Montgomery "muse" about as he passes a tour bus on his way into Whitewater?

2. When Montgomery reads the newspapers he thinks back to the day of the crime. What does he realize his victim was saying as he walked away?

3. What do the papers say Montgomery lacks when he is read his charges?

4. What does Montgomery realize as he walks past the place where the car bomb exploded?

5. What is the fantasy that Montgomery has about Charlie?

Short Essay Questions

1. What do the mites Montgomery says are living on his skin symbolize?

2. How is Montgomery's recurring dream of being falsely accused of murder an example of foreshadowing for the situation he finds himself in at the current time?

3. Montgomery describes his fondness for his old family friend Charlie French, yet at the same time he doesn't forgive Charlie for a previous situation. What does this inner conflict tell the reader about Montgomery?

4. According to Montgomery, he feels that now that he is no longer drinking alcohol he "has woken up to a hangover with a vengeance." What does Montgomery mean by saying this?

5. How is Montgomery foreshadowing his guilt by saying he had been "unknowingly leaving behind a trail of evidence rather than his troubles" as he leaves the village?

6. Why does Montgomery take the time to pay attention to the details of his victim's face before hitting her with the hammer?

7. Using your knowledge of Montgomery's history with women, why would he choose the "Portrait of the Woman with Gloves" rather than another?

8. For what reasons would the drop of blood Montgomery discovers on his finger cause him to go into a paranoid state?

9. After reading the version of the confession written by the police, Montgomery says "they have made a murderer out of him." What is the irony in this statement?

10. What clues are presented during the dinner party that Montgomery's fantasy relationship with Charlie may be more realistic than the reader is led to think?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Montgomery is a very self-centered individual and this trait is a major theme of the novel. How does being self centered affect his case? How does this behavior affect others around Montgomery? Why is the idea of self-centeredness such a crucial theme in the novel?

Essay Topic 2

Guilt is another theme to the novel. There are times where Montgomery feels guilt and other times when he places it on others. Discuss some examples when Montgomery feels guilt for his crimes. Why does he feel guilty sometimes and then not at others? What does Montgomery's lack of guilt say about him as a character?

Essay Topic 3

Every novel has a hero or heroine. Who is the hero or heroine in this novel? Why is this character the hero or heroine? What qualities does this character have that the others do not?

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