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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 ask the Prescott Hotel bellhop to bring?

2. What does Marlowe tell Birdie?

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

4. What are the initials on the handkerchief Marlowe finds in Lavery's room?

5. How well does Miss Fromsett say she knew Mrs. Almore?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Kingsley react to news of Muriel's death?

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

3. At the end of chapter fourteen, what does Marlowe tell Kingsley is his next step?

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

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

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

7. What reasons does Marlowe give that Lavery might be lying?

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

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Through Marlowe's association with crime, he naturally is associated with police and law enforcers. Discuss the police and law enforcers in the novel.

1) What different sides are there to police and law enforcement in the novel, both positive and negative?

2) How does Marlowe relate to the police in the novel? What is his relationship with law enforcement like?

3) Discuss specific officers of the law in the novel, including Patton, Degarmo, Webber, and uniformed police Marlowe deals with. How do they perceive their jobs? How do they deal with the multifaceted nature of law enforcement?

Essay Topic 2

In the novel, there are two ways to deal with problems and difficult situations: physical and mental prowess. Discuss physical and mental prowess in the novel.

1) When and how does Marlowe use physical force, intimidation, or threat? Why does Marlowe use these tactics?

2) When and how does Marlowe use mental deduction, bluffing, or other mental tactics? Why does Marlowe use these tactics?

3) Which is more important in the novel, the mental or the physical? Which has greater value attached to it?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the treatment of women and the idea of the femme fatale in the novel.

1) What are the women in the novel like? Are there positive and negative women characters, and what are their qualities? How do they compare to real women?

2) Who in the novel is a femme fatale? How is any femme fatale in the novel similar to and different from the archetype of the femme fatale?

3) How do women treat men in the novel? How do men treat women?

(see the answer keys)

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