View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who has been murdered in Chapter 29?

2. Why does Beth advise John to leave immediately for Manhattan?

3. What lie does John tell Mrs. Wiley about Beth in Chapter 17?

4. As Beth and John get closer to Plum Island in Chapter 34, what do they see that alerts them that someone is watching them?

5. What does Mrs. Murphy offer John to drink in Chapter 14?

Short Essay Questions

1. After the Gordons' bodies were examined, what were some clues that they were doing something manual before their deaths?

2. Describe the appearance of Edgar Murphy.

3. What does John learn from the library about the buried treasure in Chapter 20?

4. How do Beth and John survive the storm and keep from freezing?

5. Why didn't Margaret Wiley initially want to sell the land to the Gordons?

6. When Beth and John do a quick inventory of wounds in Chapter 35, what wounds have they both sustained?

7. What dangers do John and Beth face out at sea in Chapter 34?

8. What does Emma claim that Tobin told her about the Gordons?

9. What injuries does John inflict upon Tobin in Chapter 36?

10. What unique item does John find at Tobin's apartment that leads him to believe Tobin planned to bury the treasure on his land all along?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In Plum Island, in many ways regarding their personality and method of doing things, Beth serves as the character foil to John Coery. Use specific examples from the book to illustrate how their characterizations are in antithesis to each other and how these characterizations are strengthened when shown in contrast with each other.

Essay Topic 2

In the preface, DeMille quote Benjamin Franklin, "Three may keep a secret, if two of them are dead." Later in the novel, Beth also quotes this line. Discuss how this quote is a metaphor for the novel using specific textual evidence.

Essay Topic 3

Throughout the novel, John and Beth's relationship changes dramatically several times. Using textual examples, describe how the shifts in their relationship resonate with the themes of love, lust, judgment, and redemption.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 812 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample