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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 is the man replacing at Gerry's apartment?

2. What kind of weapon does Spenser take with him on his run?

3. Why is Spenser not sure if Broz is responsible for the blackmail case?

4. With whom are the two older women having sex?

5. What does Broz want Spenser to do?

Short Essay Questions

1. What insights does Spenser make about the case in Chapter 25?

2. What do Spenser and Susan discuss at dinner?

3. What does Browne make Spenser realize about Joe Broz in Chapter 26?

4. What insight does Susan make about the case?

5. How does Spenser persuade Cynthia Knox to talk to him?

6. What do Spenser and Quirk talk about in Chapter 30?

7. What phone calls does Spenser make at the beginning of this section?

8. What agreement do the men come to at the meeting in Chapter 32?

9. What does Spenser say about his relationship with Susan at the end of the novel?

10. What progress does Spenser make in the investigation at the beginning of Chapter 25?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Replace the book's setting with one of the following settings.

1. Chicago.

2. New York.

3. Los Angeles.

What new meaning would the new setting give the book? How important is setting for developing meaning in a story?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the values of the 1980s.

1. In what ways are the characters a product of their time?

2. How does the book express the changes America was going through at the time?

3. Does modern society share any values with 1980s America?

Essay Topic 3

Examine the author's writing style. How would you describe the author's prose style? What kind of vocabulary does he use? What meaning does the author's style give to the story?

(see the answer keys)

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