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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. After the accusations are published, Penn hires private bodyguards for his family. From where does he hire the bodyguards?

2. After Penn confronts Livy and the two are interrupted by Leo, what does Penn suddenly realize?

3. Shortly after the Payton murder, Presley had been arrested. For what had Presley been arrested?

4. When Penn arrives home, he learns that ____________is still inside the house.

5. According to Marston's phone records, to whom has Marston talked several times since Caitlin's first article about Payton was published?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happened to the woman in the car when she revealed what she had seen the night of the Payton murder?

2. After Johnson speaks at Ruby's funeral, Althea gets up to speak. What does Althea say?

3. Where does the judge who orders the boxes removed from the Marston family home for safekeeping have the boxes taken to?

4. According to Penn, why had Portman wanted Hanratty extradited to Los Angeles?

5. As Penn peeks in the window of the Marston family home, what does Penn see Leo preparing to do?

6. Describe one retaliatory event that occurs after Penn's accusations are published in the paper.

7. What advice does Penn's Colorado interviewee give to Penn regarding the Payton case?

8. Why does Penn ask Caitlin to accompany him on his upcoming trip?

9. When Penn arrives at his interview in Colorado, the interviewee does not want to talk. What changes the interviewee's mind?

10. Why does Tom Cage at first not believe that Leo Marston would have been involved in Payton's murder?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Throughout the story, there are several attempts made on Penn Craig's life.

a. Identify three characters or groups who try to kill Penn. Describe the situation and how Penn escapes.

b. Compare and contrast the characters that try to kill Penn, as well as these characters' motivations.

Essay Topic 2

Several times in the story, Penn seeks out the help of other people in order to move forward in both his investigation into the Payton murder and in his personal life.

a. Identify at least three times in the story in which Penn reaches out for help.

b. Compare and contrast each of these events in terms of the situation Penn is trying to understand, the effect of his asking for help, and the situation that immediately follows this time.

c. How might Penn's actions have impacted the story's plot if he hadn't reached out for help from others?

Essay Topic 3

Ilse uses this story to examine the role that truth plays in our daily lives. Examine the author's beliefs through his storytelling. Why would the author choose this story to overlay his demonstration of the consequences realized when the truth is distorted or hidden? What did you learn from the author's discussion on truth? What other avenues, if any, could the author have used to express his beliefs? Would those avenues have been as effective as the story? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

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