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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 Marlowe tell Kingsley that he'll have to do?

2. What is Lavery's arm like when Marlowe pulls at it?

3. What animal does Marlowe compare the blonde at the PBX to?

4. What does Marlowe find in Muriel Chess's bedroom that he thinks she wouldn't have left behind?

5. What is Lavery's first reaction when Marlowe says he's working for Kingsley?

Short Essay Questions

1. What things does Marlowe list that might have happened to Kingsley's wife?

2. How does Marlowe know the name of the person who lives across the street from Lavery?

3. What does Marlowe notice about Lavery's phone?

4. How does the woman in Lavery's house leave?

5. How does Marlowe handle his long wait in Kingsley's office lobby?

6. How does Miss Fromsett describe Florence Almore?

7. What does Lavery look like?

8. What do Bill Chess's wife and Kingsley's wife have in common?

9. What excuse does Bill Chess give for his erratic behavior?

10. Why does Marlowe initially sit in his car after visiting Lavery?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Phillip Marlowe is the central character of the novel, and the whole plot is seen through his eyes. Discuss Marlowe's character.

1) How does Marlowe deal with his job, including managing clients, dealing with the police, and handling danger?

2) What is Marlowe's moral and ethical code? How does that code drive his actions?

3) What qualities does Marlowe have that make him a good detective? What does his job demand from him?

Essay Topic 2

The novel is full of clues and implications inherent in events that Marlowe must interpret in order to find the truth. Discuss clues and implications in the novel.

1) How are clues that Marlowe finds deceptive? How do they give hints to the truth? How does Marlowe discern one from the other?

2) What does Marlowe infer from others' behavior? How is he able to make these inferences?

3) What does Marlowe infer from activity that he observes around him? How is observation and inference related? What skills does Marlowe use to make these inferences?

Essay Topic 3

The Lady in the Lake involves characters changing and hiding their Identities. Discuss the concept of identity in the novel.

1) How is identity obscured in the novel? Who attempts to obscure their identity, and why?

2) How do the characters know others' identities? How do characters create their identities?

3) How does Marlowe formulate his own identity? How do others perceive him?

(see the answer keys)

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