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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 color eyes does Herman Mudgett have?

2. Who are the lead architects of the Exposition?

3. Where does Holmes' wife live?

4. What does the President turn on at the opening ceremony?

5. Why does Mrs. Lawrence not go to the police?

Short Essay Questions

1. How is Prendergast beginning to show that he is insane?

2. What mistake has the structural engineer made in Cold Blooded Fact?

3. How does Gertrude's attitude towards Holmes change in the Cuckolding?

4. What does Pendergast say in the postcard he sends Cooling?

5. What are Holmes' initial impressions of Chicago?

6. Why does Holmes send Pitezel to obtain Dr. Kelley's cure for alcoholism?

7. What problems is Chicago having in the Convocation?

8. What does The World's Fair Hotel chapter show about Holmes' lifestyle?

9. What event does the Chicago Exposition celebrate?

10. How is the city of Chicago preparing for the fair in Dreadful Things Done By Girls?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Identify the main themes of the story. Why do you think these themes are so important to the story? How does Larson use character and setting to express these themes?

Essay Topic 2

Choose one of the characters in the book and examine his/her real life. How does Larson represent him/her in the novel? Is this an accurate representation of the character?

Essay Topic 3

Look at the structure of the novel.

1) How does Larson 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) Away from the main characters, examine the way Larson uses the other characters in the story. When does he introduce and take them away from the story? What effect does it have on the story?

(see the answer keys)

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