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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. When does Lavery say he was up at Little Fawn Lake?

2. What happens when Marlowe knocks and rings at Lavery's door?

3. Degarmo asks Marlowe if someone hired him. Who?

4. How many bullet holes are there in Lavery's chest?

5. What name does Marlowe give the woman he meets in Lavery's house?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Marlowe discover when he examines the item he takes from the woman in Lavery's house?

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

3. What does Marlowe say that they'll have to do to get financial information about Kingsley's wife?

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

5. What does Bill Chess do to himself, after shouting at the sheriff to arrest him?

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

7. How does Mr. Kingsley feel about his secretary?

8. How would you characterize the way that Miss Fromsett treats Marlowe?

9. Where is Lavery going, when he leaves the house?

10. What does Marlowe ask about that Lavery seems to react to, as if it makes him think or wonder something he's not saying?

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

Mildred Haviland is a character, though she is not seen during most of the novel. Her story is the primary story Marlowe is uncovering. Discuss Mildred Haviland's character.

1) What is Mildred Haviland's motivation for murder? What makes her a killer?

2) Mildred Haviland is only seen under false identities. Why does she acquire false identities? What are the implications of her acting capabilities?

3) What does the reader know about Mildred Haviland's true character? How does the reader get to know her character? How does Marlowe get to know her character?

Essay Topic 3

The Lady in the Lake is set in the summer, in Southern California. Both the heat and the locale impact the novel. Discuss the novel's setting.

1) What places in Southern California does Marlowe visit? How are these locations characteristic of Southern California? What lifestyles do they evoke?

2) Why does the author choose the summer to set the story in? What do the references to the heat accomplish in the novel?

3) How do Marlowe's descriptions of specific locations, like Kingsley's office or Lavery's home, set the tone for the novel and give information to the reader?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 811 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample