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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 stage cancer does Carl have?

2. In which month does the story begin?

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

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

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

Short Essay Questions

1. How did Carl save Virgil's life in Vietnam?

2. What does Joe's mother say that she knows will cause Joe to feel guilty?

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

4. What crime was Carl Iverson convicted of committing?

5. What illness does Carl Iverson have? Is he recieveing treatment?

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

7. Virgil accuses Joe of using Carl. Is this true?

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

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

10. Why does Crystal refer to Carl as "Creepy Carl" in her diary?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

At Carl's funeral, Virgil gives Joe Carl's medals telling him that Carl wanted Joe to have them. What does the gift of the medals say abut Carl and Joe's relationship at the close of the book? How does Carl's death affect Virgil? How do you think Joe feels about receiving Carl's medals?

Essay Topic 2

Joe Talbert's mother always seems to be able to get Joe to do what she wants, even when he knows it will be a detriment to himself. How does Joe's mother manipulate him into doing what she wants? What does she use against him that causes him to give in to her time and again? Is Joe really a victim of his mother's behavior, or does he gain something from forgiving her for her issues?

Essay Topic 3

Lila's backstory is revealed in Chapter 28. How does she feel about her past? How does it still affect her in the present? What does Joe say in response to her admission? What is it about his life that makes him feel the way he does?

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