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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. At the end of Chapter 13, what is the relationship between the narrator and Paul Auster?

2. To which two continental philosophers does the narrator credit the concept of the "noble savage"?

3. Where does the second meeting between Quinn and Stillman take place in Chapter 9?

4. In Chapter 8, what is the message spelled out by the letters of the maps?

5. What does Quinn do with the clothes he is wearing in Chapter 13?

Short Essay Questions

1. After losing track of Stillman, who does Quinn seek out for advice on the Stillman case? Why does he think this person will be able to help him?

2. What is Stillman's theory about having children? What is the correlation between having children and knowledge?

3. Where does Stillman go after leaving Grand Central Station? Why is Quinn surprised by this?

4. What does Quinn believe is the key to effective detective work? Does his theory prove to be correct? Why or why not?

5. What job does Virginia Stillman hire Auster to do? How does she expect him to start?

6. In Chapter 11, what does Quinn write about in the red notebook? According to his observations, what is the social hierarchy of the vagabond population like?

7. What is the message spelled out by the letters of the maps in Chapter 8? What does this message reveal to Quinn about Stillman?

8. What is Stillman's project as he explains it to Quinn in Chapter 9? Why is this work necessary?

9. While Quinn is living in the alleyway in Chapter 12, what is his sleep schedule like? How is he able to measure the amount of time he has been sleeping?

10. What role does fate have in Quinn's involvement in the Stillman case? What does Quinn consider to be a sign of fate's decision?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Throughout The New York Trilogy, writers and detectives are constantly confused. Writers become detectives and detectives become writers and readers. Give two examples of this concept and then compare and contrast the two professions. How are language and action important in both?

Essay Topic 2

What is the significance of the title, Ghosts? Who are the ghosts that Blue and Black discuss that are all around in New York? What are some examples of haunted men in that story?

Essay Topic 3

Deception is a major theme in The Locked Room. Give three examples of deception in the story and explain the consequences for the writer. What message is communicated about deception and truth in the story?

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