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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. Who says at the end of the section entitled Visits that he has come to realize the Frank's murder case had been mishandled?

2. Guilt around whose death keeps Ralph from dropping the investigation at Jeannie's request?

3. The incomplete word contained on the menu turns out to have represented what whole word?

4. Holly guesses that Claude's tattoos have to do with what topic?

5. Howie tells the rest of the investigative team that the plane will be delayed to wait for which character?

Short Essay Questions

1. What comments does Claude make about Claude's overall personality?

2. How is the theme of family bonds depicted in the relationship between Lovie Ann and Claude?

3. What promise does Jeannie elicit from Ralph before he travels to meet the rest of the investigative team?

4. Who insists on joining the first meeting between Ralph and Holly and why?

5. How does the motif of dreams enter the narrative in relation to Jack?

6. What kinds of supplies does the investigative team purchase at Home Depot?

7. What method does Fred use in order to commit suicide?

8. What characteristic of the corpse lying next to Jack in bed convinces him of its identity?

9. For what reason does Jeannie invoke the character of Sherlock Holmes during a conversation with Ralph?

10. In what way is Claude an ideal target for the Outsider?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

William Faulkner once famously claimed that the most important literature deals with the subject of the human heart in conflict with itself. Explain how the theme of Human versus Self is demonstrated within King’s novel The Outsider. Create a decisive, arguable claim and prove it with quotes from the novel.

Essay Topic 3

Analyze the interplay between the resolution of The Outsider and one of the novel's main messages. How does King make connections between these elements and how does their juxtaposition help them get across one main message of the novel?

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This section contains 1,015 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample