View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. In what state does the narrative of The Outsider take place?

2. For what crime is Terry Maitland arrested in Chapter 5 of The Arrest?

3. Around which of the following topics does the epigraph of The Outsider revolve?

4. Who murders Terry outside of the courthouse on the day of his arraignment?

5. Who screams out for someone to help Terry as he lies dying on the ground?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who are Howie and Alec and in what way are they associated with one another?

2. What are Terry's final words and what is their significance?

3. Describe the relationship between Frank and Ollie prior to their deaths.

4. Discuss two clues that point toward the presence of a doppelganger within the investigation of Frank's murder?

5. What is unusual about the timeline of Terry's arrest that makes Ralph uncomfortable?

6. For what reason does Terry refuse to wear a bulletproof vest on the day of his arraignment?

7. Explain the significance of the epigraph Stephen King chooses for The Outsider.

8. In what condition is Frank's body found and what does the state of the body suggest about the killer?

9. What gesture does Ralph make once Terry is shot that demonstrates where his priorities lie?

10. Who is Claude Bolton?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss King’s use of metaphor, simile, imagery, and other literary devices as a means to send particular thematic messages within the narrative of The Outsider.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss King's choice to tell the story of The Outsider using a third person omniscient narrator. What elements of the novel's themes lend themselves to this choice and what are King’s intended effects on the reader?

Essay Topic 3

How do the themes of deception and secrecy function within The Outsider and what is King’s message regarding these themes?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,037 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample