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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. Who breaks the news to Kingsley that his wife is dead?

2. What time do Degarmo and Marlowe arrive at Miss Fromsett's apartment building, according to the clerk's wristwatch?

3. What choice does Marlowe give the woman he meets at the Peacock Lounge?

4. Where is Derace Kingsley when Degarmo and Marlowe get to the cabin?

5. When Marlowe reveals that Mrs. Kingsley has been dead for over a month, what does Kingsley do with his hands?

Short Essay Questions

1. What conditions does Marlowe discover in the apartment he enters after leaving the murdered woman's apartment?

2. What is Mrs. Talley's attitude?

3. Who does Marlowe call to verify where Kingsley has gone, once he guesses where it is?

4. What reason does Marlowe give Mrs. Kingsley that she'll miss him?

5. How does Grayson describe Dr. Almore's practice?

6. What is the reaction of the younger policeman, Eddie, when he sees the gun on the table?

7. Where and in what condition do Marlowe and Patton find the car that Degarmo escaped in?

8. Why is Marlowe surprised that Mrs. Kingsley would need money from her husband?

9. As Degarmo seemingly gets away, what sentiment does Marlowe utter twice?

10. After leaving the crime scene, what does Degarmo try to convince the other police officer?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Degarmo both brings Marlowe into the central mystery of the story and drives the ending of the novel. Discuss Degarmo's character.

1) Why does Degarmo try to protect his wife? Why does he ultimately kill her?

2) In what ways is Degarmo corrupt? What is the motivation behind his corruption?

3) How intelligent is Degarmo? What mistakes does he make? How does Marlowe see through him?

Essay Topic 2

Marlowe's job puts him into dangerous situations. Discuss danger in the novel.

1) What causes danger in the novel? How is danger inherent in Marlowe's work?

2) How does Marlowe react to dangerous situations? What are his emotional responses? What are his intellectual responses, and what action does he take?

3) How do the antagonists in the novel react when they are in danger?

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)

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