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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 Pitezel buy his son at the fair?

2. In which state does Minnie have land?

3. What is Burnham not told about?

4. How many days early does Groneau want to open the Ferris Wheel?

5. To whom does the footprint belong?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens to Millet in the Aboard the Olympic chapter?

2. How does Holmes occupy himself in prison?

3. How does Holmes seduce Georgianna?

4. What is Holmes's plan in the Independence Day chapter?

5. What happens to Chicago after the Exposition is finished?

6. Describe the first test runs with the Ferris Wheel.

7. What happens to Olmstead in the Recessional chapter?

8. What do Minnie and Anna see at the fair?

9. In what way can the characters of Burnham and Holmes be compared?

10. How does the Exposition influence America?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Who were Daniel Burnham and John Root? How influential were Daniel Burnham and John Root in helping to create contemporary Chicago? Why were they chosen as the chief architects?

Essay Topic 2

Devil in the White City is part of the true crime genre.

1) What are the conventions of the true crime genre in terms of character, language and plot?

2) In what way did White City help to set the template for similar novels? Do modern novels still use the ideas used in White City?

Essay Topic 3

Look at the structure of the novel.

1) How does Larson 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) Away from the main characters, examine the way Larson uses the other characters in the story. When does he introduce and take them away from the story? What effect does it have on the story?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 686 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample