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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 does Marlowe believe is wrong with Earl?

2. What name did Terry board the second plane under?

3. What does the girl call Terry?

4. Where is Terry flying to?

5. What does Mr. Grenz snatch away from Marlowe?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

4. What does Verringer tell Marlowe in this section?

5. Describe between Marlowe and the police in Chapter 6.

6. Why does Eileen want to hire Marlowe?

7. Describe the confrontation between Earl and Roger in the fourth section.

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

9. How does Menendez know Terry?

10. Why does Marlowe have trouble sleeping in the third 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 the effects of the Second World War in 1940s and 1950s America.

1) In what way does WWII cast a shadow over the novel and its characters?

2) Choose one of the characters in the novel and write what effect the students think WWII had on his/her mindset.

Essay Topic 3

Examine the political side of the novel.

1) What does the book say about politics in America after World War II?

2) What were Chandler's political views and how does he express his views in the novel?

3) How did the 1973 film use Chandler's ideas to make a statement about 1970s society and politics?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 846 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample