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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 does Socrates decide has posted himself as leader?

2. What kind of cop is Kenneth Shreve?

3. Who replies to Socrates' letter to Theresa?

4. What do the gulls on the beach peck at?

5. What does Oscar tell Socrates he is?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why did Socrates break the driver's nose?

2. What does Socrates dream about his mother at the end of the chapter?

3. What does Socrates tell Theresa in his letter to her?

4. How does Socrates talk Right out of killing himself with a gun?

5. How does Darryl react when Socrates takes him to live with the MacDaniels?

6. Why is Socrates concerned about his job?

7. What does Socrates have to do in return for no jail time?

8. How did the bookshop change Socrates?

9. What does Bruce tell Socrates he would do if he knew a man that had murdered two people?

10. What does Socrates do with the reward money?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write a 500-word essay revolving around one of the following statements:

1) Socrates proves that on such occasions violence is right.

2) Socrates protects Darryl because he sees a bit of himself in him.

Essay Topic 2

Examine the novel's dialogue. How does Mosley's dialogue contribute to the following areas?

1) Character

2) Setting

3) Plot

Essay Topic 3

Examine violence in the novel.

1) How do the characters in the novel view violence?

2) Do the characters need to be violent to cope in the world that Mosley portrays?

3) How did the public react to the novel's violence when it was first published? How would the public react to a similar book today?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 716 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample