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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. The person who wakes the rest of the Maitland family with her screams does NOT claim to have seen a man with what quality?

2. Who provides CPR and succeeds in keeping Fred alive at the scene of his suicide attempt?

3. Grace describes the Outsider's eyes as resembling which objects?

4. Holly reflects upon the fact that before meeting Bill Hodges, she had experienced how many nervous breakdowns?

5. The man who reaches out of the shower toward Jack tells Jack that he has afflicted him with what malady?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What finally convinces Jack to do the bidding of the Outsider?

3. In what manner did Terry come into contact with The Outsider, ultimately resulting in his indictment for murder?

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

5. What is King's reason for alluding to a short story written by Edgar Allan Poe?

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

7. What is June's reason for being confused about her decision to save Fred?

8. In what way does The Outsider contain commentary about race and culture?

9. What does the cantaloupe in Ralph's story symbolize?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss King's decision to include humor within the text of The Outsider. What purpose did King have in mind when including these instances of humor and how does the inclusion of these instances support the overarching themes and messages of the text?

Essay Topic 3

Determine King’s message within the novel The Outsider regarding the idea that not every event in the world can be explained in logical terms.

(see the answer keys)

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