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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. Where does Joe currently work?

2. Who is Lila Nash?

3. What does Carl demand from Joe if he wants him to tell his story?

4. Why is Virgil so convinced that Carl did not kill Crystal?

5. Who did Carl's lawyer write to for help breaking the diary code?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the purpose of Carl's "dying declaration"?

2. Why is Carl's request for a speedy trial something that his defense considered unusual?

3. Joe's mother is arrested and calls Joe for help. Joe speaks to the arresting officer, but he is not concerned about his mother. What is Joe's main concern when his mother is arrested?

4. How does Joe end up interviewing Carl Iverson?

5. What does Carl require from Joe if he is going to allow him to know and write his life story?

6. Why does Jeremy look to the corners of the room when Joe is talking to him?

7. What does Mrs. Tate, the school counselor, tell Crystal on the day she is killed?

8. How does the short document about Carl's war service conflict with his crime?

9. Why does Joe Talbert visit Hillview Manor at the beginning of the book?

10. Carl and Joe make some big assumptions about each other during their first meeting. What does Carl assume about Joe?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

When Joe finally becomes the person responsible for Jeremy, he does not view it in the same negative way he did at the beginning of the story. Why has Joe's outlook changed? How has his involvement with Carl changed the way he looks at life? How does Joe feel about taking care of Jeremy now?

Essay Topic 2

Each time Joe is presented with a threatening male figure his first instinct is to use violence to express his anger, yet when he is confronted by both Doug and Danny he is unable to defend himself. Why might the author have written the character of Joe in this way? What does Joe's ability to fight say about him? In what circumstances does he usually resort to violence? Why is it that when it comes to defending himself, as opposed to someone else, he is not able to do it?

Essay Topic 3

Carl's conviction for Crystal's murder marked him as a pedophile. Berthel Collins tells Joe that being labeled as a pedophile likely made Carl's prison term more difficult. Why does he think this? What does he tell Joe about prison culture in general and Stillwater Prison in particular?

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This section contains 929 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample