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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 do the Franchetti brothers go out to buy?

2. What is the bottom of the boat covered in?

3. Who is under suspicion for Freddie's murder?

4. What does Tom call himself/

5. What has Tom's friend, Bob, been questioning everyone about?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Tom tell Mr. Greenleaf about Dickie's murder?

2. What does Marge think about the situation with Dickie?

3. What reason does Tom give for Dickie being despondent?

4. What does Tom read in the newspapers in Chapter 30?

5. What did a man see outside of Dickie's apartment?

6. Why can Tom not tell Marge what he really thinks about the party?

7. How does Mr. Greeleaf react when Marge tells him about Dickie's rings?

8. Why do the police want to know where Tom Ripley is ?

9. How does Tom fake Dickie's will?

10. Why does Marge think that Dickie's signature must have changed?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Examine violence in the novel.

1) How do the characters in the novel view violence? Are there are character that would think twice before shooting or hitting someone?

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

3) How do the students think the public reacted to the novel's violence when it was first published? How would the public react to such a book today?

Essay Topic 2

Look at the structure of the novel.

1) How does Highsmith use character and dialogue to drive the narrative?

2) Discuss elements of the narrative structure: Exposition, conflict, complication, climax, resolution and conclusion. Do all the elements make for a logical and linear story? How does the story's structure express the novel's themes?

3) Aside from the main character ,examine the way Highsmith uses the other characters in the story. When does she introduce and take them away from the story? What effect does it have on the story?

Essay Topic 3

Examine the novel's chronological setting.

1) What were the main concerns during the 1950s? How does Highsmith express these concerns?

2) In what ways do you think the novel's meaning would change if it were set in today's society?

(see the answer keys)

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