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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 Marlowe tell Kingsley that he'll have to do?

2. What stops Marlowe from leaving, when he reaches down to turn on his ignition?

3. What does Derace Kingsley's company make?

4. What is Kingsley afraid his wife might get in trouble for?

5. Who does Marlowe suggest to Miss Fromsett might have killed Lavery, aside from Mrs. Kingsley?

Short Essay Questions

1. What excuse does Bill Chess give for his erratic behavior?

2. How does Miss Fromsett describe Florence Almore?

3. How does Kingsley react to news of Muriel's death?

4. How does Bill Chess respond when Marlowe asks if Muriel and Crystal might have gone away together?

5. What does Lavery look like?

6. How does Mr. Kingsley feel about his secretary?

7. What does Marlowe say that they'll have to do to get financial information about Kingsley's wife?

8. What reason does Sheriff Patton give why Bill might have stayed in town if he killed his wife?

9. Where is Lavery going, when he leaves the house?

10. What does Bill Chess do to himself, after shouting at the sheriff to arrest him?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Marlowe's job puts him into dangerous situations. Discuss danger in the novel.

1) What causes danger in the novel? How is danger inherent in Marlowe's work?

2) How does Marlowe react to dangerous situations? What are his emotional responses? What are his intellectual responses, and what action does he take?

3) How do the antagonists in the novel react when they are in danger?

Essay Topic 2

The story behind The Lady in the Lake is one of relationships: husbands and wives, lovers, and jealous rivals. Discuss relationships in the novel.

1) What do men and women want from relationships in the novel?

2) Discuss Lavery's relationships. Who is Lavery? What do women want from him? What does Lavery expect out of relationships?

3) Do romantic relationships lead to happiness in the novel? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

The Lady in the Lake is structured in 41 short chapters. Discuss the novel's structure.

1) Why does the author choose many short chapters instead of longer ones? Why are some conversations spread over more than one chapter?

2) What is the climax of the novel? How does the novel build to the climax, and how does it resolve?

3) What stages does Marlowe go through in his journey to unravel the truth?

(see the answer keys)

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