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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 Spade think that Miss Wonderly returned to her hotel?

2. What does Spade lie about in this chapter?

3. Which character in this chapter has their gun drawn?

4. Who does Miss Wonderly say Spade should ask for?

5. Whose apartment does Spade arrive at at the beginning of this chapter?

Short Essay Questions

1. How are Spade suspicions about Cairo's sexual orientation confirmed by Brigid?

2. How does Hammett use visual images in the novel?

3. What does Spade say Brigid, Cairo and Gutman do aboard the La Paloma?

4. What does horse feathers mean in terms of the eighth chapter?

5. How does Spade react to Iva's apology in the eleventh chapter?

6. What is Spade's excuse for Cairo and Brigid's behavior at the beginning of the eighth chapter?

7. How was the falcon made?

8. What has happened to Miss Wonderly's sister?

9. Why is the fifth chapter call ed the Levantine?

10. How has Spade approached the case so far?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The Maltese Falcon is part of the crime genre.

1) What are the conventions of the The Maltese Falcon genre in terms of character, language and plot?

2) In what way did The Maltese Falcon help to set the template for similar crime novels? Do modern crime novels still use the ideas used in The Maltese Falcon?

Essay Topic 2

Examine the novel's dialogue. How does Hammett's dialogue contribute to the following areas:

1) Character

2) Setting

3) Plot

Essay Topic 3

The Maltese is a famous book which has greatly influenced popular culture. Choose a film or book written after The Maltese Falcon that you think was influenced by the novel and discuss there similarities in terms of:

a) Plot

b) Character

c) Themes

(see the answer keys)

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