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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 the old man shown in Section 4 say he takes advantage of regarding people?

2. What does Little Priest also include on a piece of paper for the police in Section 5 along with some names?

3. Who does Little Priest originally mail his confession to in Section 5?

4. What item does a man sell near the shooting that the police look for in Section 1?

5. How do many of the bus passengers describe their seat window on the day of the shooting to police?

Short Essay Questions

1. What information do the police first find out regarding Salvatore after his identity is discovered?

2. What does Mrs. Nicolosi tell police regarding her husband's actions on the day Salvatore was murdered?

3. What information is the captain able to discover regarding Nicolosi in Section 3?

4. How do the passengers on the bus react after a man is shot at the beginning of the book?

5. What is the nature of the speech a man gives to the police regarding Don Arena in Section 5?

6. How is Little Priest's quality of life described while working as a police informant?

7. What is the nature of the letter Little Priest sends to police in Section 5?

8. How did Little Priest earn a living before becoming a police informant?

9. How do the employees of a sulphur mine react after not being paid for three months?

10. How does an old man describe Little Priest's work as a spy in Section 4?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the author's portrayal of politics in the book, namely his discussions on fascism, communism and socialism. What role does politics appear to be playing in Sicilian society at the time this book was written and what does the author appear to feel towards politics?

Essay Topic 2

Examine the important role religion played in the lives of the mafia members in the book. Why do you think the mafia chose to stress such importance on religion given their violent and unethical actions in every aspect of their lives?

Essay Topic 3

The portrayal of corruption is an important theme found in the book that makes the reader question the similarities the police have with the mafia. Part 1.) How does the mafia use corruption as a means to an end in the book, namely in their business ventures? Part 2.) What is telling of the nature of the police based on their tendencies of corruption in the book? Part 3.) Is the corruption used by the police warranted given their desire to find justice or does this prove they are no more innocent than the mafia?

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This section contains 789 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample