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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 Janet think Carl will die?

2. Who does Joe credit with keeping his mother under control when he was a boy?

3. What did Joe's mother's apartment smell like when he was a child?

4. How does Joe feel after telling his secret to Carl?

5. What is the secret Joe blurts out to Carl?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. 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?

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

4. How does Joe resolve his guilt of leaving Jeremy with his mother and Larry?

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

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

7. Why did Joe step into a bar for the first time when he was ten years old?

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

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

10. How does Joe end up interviewing Carl Iverson?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How does the rape and murder of the girl in Vietnam parallel the murder of Crystal Hagen? How does Carl's experience in Vietnam shed light on his behavior toward Crystal and why she might have viewed his behavior as creepy? What does Joe now believe about Crystal's murder and Carl's involvement after learning about Vietnam?

Essay Topic 2

Chapters 33 - 37 deal with Joe's kidnap and escape. What do we learn about Joe during his ordeal? What does he learn about himself? How might Joe have acquired the skills he needed to save himself? In what ways has Joe's character changed as a result of the ordeal?

Essay Topic 3

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?

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This section contains 905 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample