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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 did Terry kill himself?

2. What could Marlowe lose if Terry told him everything?

3. What does Terry call Sylvia's father?

4. Who does Marlowe meet for the first time at Verringer's property?

5. What does Terry say is the only thing he has left?

Short Essay Questions

1. What do Terry and Marlowe plan in the opening section?

2. Why does Terry think his wife is scared?

3. What does Morgan think about Terry's death?

4. Why does Marlowe think that jail is not too bad?

5. Describe Marlowe's time at the police station.

6. Why does Marlowe have trouble sleeping in the third section?

7. Describe the confrontation between Marlowe and Menendez in the third section.

8. What does Eileen give Marlowe to help him find Roger?

9. How does Marlowe help Terry in the opening chapter?

10. What does Verringer tell Marlowe in this section?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Why do the students think Marlowe is so indifferent about everyone's death apart from Terry's? What does Marlowe's attitude suggest about his attitude towards his own life? In what way does Chandler suggest that Marlowe's attitude is shared with the other characters in the book? What does Chandler's representation of death say about American society in the Fifties?

Essay Topic 2

Examine Chandler's writing style. How would you describe Chandler's prose style? What kind of vocabulary does he use? Does he use any specific writing techniques? What meaning does Chandler's style give to the story?

Essay Topic 3

What makes Marlowe a good private eye? Is Marlowe right when he says most Private Eyes finish broke or dead? How do the students think Marlowe manages to keep afloat?

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