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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 does Paul say Spenser sets too high?

2. What does Spenser reserve with his last phone call?

3. What is the name of Paul's girlfriend?

4. What does Quirk ask Spenser to explain?

5. What does Spenser say Joe will do if he wants to kill him?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What insight does Susan make about the case?

3. What does Spenser discuss with Paul in this section?

4. What realization does Spenser come to about Susan while he is out on his run?

5. How does Joe Broz react to the news about his son's activities in this section?

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

7. How does Spenser show his sensitivity when dealing with Cynthia?

8. Why does Joe refuse to give the tapes to Spenser?

9. How do Spenser and Susan differ?

10. Why do Hawk and Spenser think Broz won't take the situation any further?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Choose one of Parker's previous book and contrast it with THE WIDENING GYRE in terms of the following;

1. Style.

2. Structure.

3. Themes.

Essay Topic 2

How accurate do the students think is Robert B. Parker's representation of detective work? Why does Spenser make a good detective? How does he use the story and character to create his representation?

Essay Topic 3

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?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 699 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample