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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 kind of party does Eileen invite Marlowe to?

2. What does Harlan Potter threaten to revoke?

3. Where does Marlowe say he knows Ohls from?

4. What did Eileen use to kill herself?

5. What drink does Candy offer Marlowe?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who does Eileen say she was in love with when she was younger?

2. What does Spencer think about the case in Section 8?

3. What new evidence does Roy Ashterfelt give Marlowe in Section 7?

4. What dilemma does Eileen pose for Marlowe in section six?

5. How does Marlowe react to Eileen's story?

6. How does Marlowe prove Candy to be a liar in Section 7?

7. What does Roger say to Marlowe at the party in section 5?

8. What does Roger say about killing a man in Section 6?

9. How do the police respond to Marlowe's statement?

10. Why is Marlowe concerned about Eileen's reaction to her husband's injury?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Identify the main themes of the story. Why do you think these themes are so important to the story? How does Chandler use character and setting to express these themes?

Essay Topic 2

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?

Essay Topic 3

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?

(see the answer keys)

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