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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. How is the Southern man killed?

2. Where is Ochs when he receives an exciting phone call after meeting with Ben a second time?

3. In what state is Berryman's apartment located?

4. What could Ochs's feelings towards Ben cause him to forget about Ben?

5. What word does Ochs use to describe Johnboy?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the profession of Ochs Jones.

2. What makes the Southern man so mysterious in the story?

3. What does the reader find out is the plot of the story after reading the Prologue?

4. Who is Johnboy Terrell and what is his relationship with the Southern man?

5. What does Ben Toy inform Ochs Jones about Thomas Berryman's last job when he was hired as a hit man?

6. Who works on the Bowditch ward at the William Pound Institute, and why is this person important to Ochs's investigation?

7. What does Ochs ask the guard at the mental institute to do for him, and what events follow his request?

8. What facts arise that lead Ochs to believe Ben's story of Horn's murder?

9. Where does Ochs go after his meeting with Ben Toy, and what events follow?

10. In Part 2, why does Ochs return to Long Island, and what information is he given?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Johnboy Terrell is killed at the end of the story. Readers don't find out who his murderer is. What could the lack of knowledge about who kills Johnboy lead readers to feel? Do any particular characters in the story come to mind as to who Johnboy's killer is? Cite examples from the text in order to justify your response.

Essay Topic 2

The story involves the friendship and business relationship of Ben Toy and Thomas Berryman. The two are the most prominent characters in the story due to their roles in the murder of Jimmie Lee Horn. Describe the relationship between Ben Toy and Thomas Berryman. When did they meet? How did the two get entangled in the plot to kill Horn? Why did Ben disappear without telling Berryman where he was in order to keep a safe distance between them?

Essay Topic 3

At the end of the story, one murderer has been killed. Who is it? What events in the story could lead readers to believe that the murderer expected a tragic ending for themselves one day? Cite examples from the text in order to support your response.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,160 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample