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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Why does Mr. Dalton refuse to have Jan Erlone picked up by the police for questioning?
(a) He is afraid of the bad publicity.
(b) He's afraid his daughter is just doing this to disgrace the family.
(c) He doesn't think Jan Erlone has anything to do with it.
(d) He doesn't want the police invovled because doesn't trust them.

2. Why does Bessie finally agree to help Bigger with his kidnapping scam?
(a) She is greedy and wants in on the deal.
(b) He says he will leave her if she doesn't help him.
(c) He says he will give her half the money.
(d) He threatens to murder her family.

3. How does Bigger compare his family to Mary Dalton?
(a) He sees his family as alive compared to Mary being dead.
(b) He sees his family's poor existence compared to Mary's rich life.
(c) He sees his family as afraid as compared to Mary's confidence.
(d) He sees his family as a burden compared to new possibilites created by Mary's death.

4. What does Bigger say when Bessie asks if he murdered Mary Dalton?
(a) He denies killing Mary, but admits he stole money from her.
(b) He laughs and says Mary killed herself by jumping in the river and he just watched.
(c) He admits that he killed Mary and threatens Bessie, too.
(d) He admits that he killed Mary and tells Bessie he'll tell everyone she helped him.

5. What does the white cat do while Bigger is being questioned by the police and reporters?
(a) Sits staring intently at Bigger.
(b) Jumps on his shoulder and digs in its claws.
(c) Jumps on his shoulder, then walks around his feet.
(d) It keeps looking from the furnace to Bigger and back again.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Bigger overhear Mrs. Dalton saying to Peggy when she learns her daughter is gone?

2. In what ways does Bigger act to give the impression he thinks Mary is asleep upstairs in her bedroom?

3. What happens when one of the men discovers bone and an earring in the ashes?

4. What does Bigger do with the pamphlets Jan gave him the night before?

5. How do the police finally catch Bigger?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe Bigger's treatment when he was finally caught.

2. Why did Bigger decide to try to blame Jan and the Communist Party for the kidnapping?

3. What things made the Daltons begin to worry about their daughter being gone?

4. Bigger was very much interested in reading about himself in the newspapers. Of what significance was this?

5. What is the Loeb and Leopold case that gave Bigger the idea to pretend Mary was kidnapped and collect a ransom?

6. How did Bigger feel about killing Bessie?

7. What was the argument Bigger had with his family as he tried to pack his things the day after Mary's death?

8. When did Bigger realize how quickly news was going to spread that he had killed Mary?

9. What did Bigger's brother, Buddy, have to say to him?

10. In what ways was Bigger's capture similar to the opening of the book when Bigger chased, eventually killing the rat?

(see the answer keys)

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