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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. Why does Stephanie get stuck on a curb when she should be chasing the "smaller car"?

2. What does the unlocked door in Kenny's vehicle signal to Stephanie?

3. At a meeting that takes place in the funeral home, what does Spiro beg Stephanie to retrieve?

4. What does Stephanie find in Rex's cage after her apartment was vandalized?

5. Why does Stephanie meet with Spiro following Moogey's viewing?

Short Essay Questions

1. Could Stephanie accomplish what she does if she lived somewhere that was not as close knit?

2. Why does Stephanie become suspicious of Spiro and the cheap caskets?

3. How does the information about the money spent on funerals continue to cast suspicion on Spiro's story?

4. What does the cat in the hamster cage symbolize?

5. Why did parts of the 'Burg seem to become less fortunate than others?

6. Stephanie attends dinner with her grandmother hoping to get a lead on her case through neighborhood gossip. The grandmother invites Stephanie to dinner in hopes that she will connect with Spiro, the surprise dinner guest. What do these actions say about the relationship of these women to each other?

7. Stephanie is often shown consuming what type of food throughout the story?

8. When Spiro produces an unsigned letter much like the one Stephanie received, what does this device achieve?

9. Why does Stephanie hire a former prostitute to work for Vinnie?

10. What device does the author use to create a past between Stephanie and Morelli?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Choose a character you liked. Using the topics below, analyze this character's appeal to you.

Part 1) Who was your favorite character and why?

Part 2) What do you have in common with this character? Do you see yourself in him/her?

Part 3) What did this character accomplish in the story? If you were in his/her shoes, do you feel you could have achieved the same accomplishment or would you have done something differently?

Part 4) What did you learn from the character that you will apply to your everyday life?

Essay Topic 2

The women of the 'Burg seem tougher than many women portrayed in novels, but what is it that makes them appear so? Is it their lifestyle? Their attitude? Their moral compass? Choose three characters and cite examples as to what makes them tougher than traditional women in literature.

Essay Topic 3

Kenny's past is mentioned several times throughout the novel. There is discussion of how Kenny was as a child, as well as his recent relationships with women. Many of these instances are considered disturbing. How does this word of mouth discussion develop his character?

(see the answer keys)

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