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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. Which of the following people does not have a key to the belfry stairs?

2. After the bell ringing ceremony, what news does the Reverend Venables receive about Lady Thorpe?

3. Why does Sir Henry have little money to leave his daughter after his death?

4. How does Mrs. Gates say the Thorpe family has always treated her?

5. In what name does Bunter expect to find mail for the dead man?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who is Potty Peake and how reliable is his testimony considered?

2. Why does Lord Peter end up going to France to make inquiries about Paul Taylor instead of Superintendent Blundell or the Chief Constable?

3. What is the Fens, the novel's setting, like?

4. How does Nobby Cranton react when Lord Peter shows him the cipher written on French paper and what does his reaction indicate?

5. Why is Batty Thomas considered an unlucky bell?

6. What does Mrs. Venables deduce about the mysterious male corpse in Lady Thorpe's grave when she sees his French underclothes?

7. What is known about the manner of the death of the unknown male corpse in Lady Thorpe's grave?

8. Why does Sir Henry Thorpe end up broke due to the theft of Lady Wilbraham's emerald necklace?

9. Who does Potty Peake's claim to have seen in the church with Legros, and what does his claim imply and how reliable is it considered?

10. What circumstance brings Lord Peter Wimsey to Fenchurch St. Paul?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The novel contains a number of instances of irony. Cite at least three examples of irony in the book and discuss what you think the author intends to convey with each example.

Essay Topic 2

What are the major themes of this novel? Discuss at least three themes. Tell what the author is trying to say about each theme and how she depicts it. Cite examples from the text to support your arguments.

Essay Topic 3

Compare and contrast the servant characters in the novel: Bunter, Jeff Deacon and Emily. Cite examples from the text to support your arguments.

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