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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. Who was Rosalie?

2. What did Judge Ford do at the second meeting that shocked everyone?

3. Who were the only two people in the group of heirs that Crow cared about?

4. Why did Turtle think that it would be a good idea to call Flora Baumbach by another name?

5. What unusual fact did Judge Ford find out about Mrs. Wexler?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why did the bomb squad seem indifferent to the fact that Turtle had been blasted by the latest bomb?

2. Beside the identity of Sam Westing, what other identities did Westing take?

3. Why had Turtle and Theo decided against having children?

4. What confession did Turtle finally make that changed the way Judge Ford looked at the Westing game?

5. Why did George Theodorakis falter while telling the story of Violet Westing?

6. After examining all her information for the newspaperman, who did Judge Ford believe must be protected from Westing's mischief and why did she think this?

7. When Julian R. Eastman died, who else died with him?

8. Why was Turtle so happy at the last meeting of the heirs?

9. How did Judge Ford react when told by Sandy that Jake Wexler was a bookie?

10. What is meant by the expression, "to go on the wagon"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

One of the themes in The Westing Game is that of family. The heirs are all related in some way, except for Denton Deere, and he is Angela's fiance. However, by the end of the novel, other close ties are formed by the characters, making them a sort of "family" on a different plane. Discuss one or two of the relationships that develop and discuss why they may have formed that particular relationship. What needs for each character are being met? Give examples from the novel.

Essay Topic 2

Deductive reasoning is a technique for taking meaning from a work of literature. It involves logic: the conclusion drawn when fact one relates in a certain way to fact two. However, often an invalid logic statement results when fact one and fact two are not true. The conclusion is therefore not true, though the relationship between the first two facts is logical. Find an example of such a situation in the novel and discuss it fully.

Essay Topic 3

One of the themes of the Westing Game is games and game-playing. The most obvious games are the chess game and the Will. However, there are other examples of game-playing in the novel. Give examples of game-playing from the novel and discuss them and their impact on the plot.

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This section contains 859 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample