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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. What reason does Ben give for keeping the fact that he's been seeing a psychiatrist away from Berryman?

2. How long has Ben known Berryman?

3. Who is ordered to murder the Southern man?

4. What is Johnboy Terrell's job?

5. What does Ochs find in Berryman's apartment that could be useful to his investigation?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Ochs's opinion of Ben change from his first interview to his last?

2. Explain the crime that Ben commits after accepting the order to kill Horn.

3. What happens that causes readers to become more aware of the emotional state of Ben?

4. Describe the profession of Ochs Jones.

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

6. When Ochs returns to Nashville after visiting Ben Toy, who does he have a meeting with, and why?

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

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

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In Part 4, Ochs receives a letter from a customs inspector. What does the letter say? What is the connection between the information in the letter and Berryman's visit to New York City? Cite examples from the text in order to justify your response.

Essay Topic 2

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.

Essay Topic 3

After his meeting with Ben Toy, Ochs begins to feel sympathy for him, making it possible that he will forget that Ben is a cold-blooded killer. What could the sympathy Ochs begins to feel towards Ben do to his judgment? What result might sympathy bring to Ochs as the story continues?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,145 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample