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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. Why is Mrs. Gates unhappy with the wreath Mrs. Coppins sends for Lady Thorpe's funeral?

2. What does the letter to the mysterious dead man concern?

3. Why can't Lord Peter and Bunter spend the night at the Red Cow, the local inn in Fenchurch St. Paul?

4. What does Stephen Driver ask the Wilderspins about in addition to a job?

5. What other paper does the French paper Hilary Thorpe finds in the church belfry match?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why do Superintendent Blundell and Lord Peter suspect that the Thoday brothers may have been involved in the death of Jean Legros?

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. How does Suzanne Legros meet her husband Jean Legros and what lies do she and Jean tell about Jean's history?

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

5. How well does Hilary Thorpe get along with her Uncle Edward?

6. What does the sluice-keeper complain about in the chapter entitled "Tailor Paul is Called Before With a Single," and what does his complaint foreshadow?

7. What does Hilary Thorpe send Lord Peter via the mail, and how does Lord Peter think the document fits into the mystery of Jean Legros?

8. How does Jeff Deacon double-cross Nobby Cranton during the jewel heist?

9. Why is Mrs. Gates unhappy with Mrs. Coppins over a wreath?

10. How does the pseudonym of Paul Taylor for the French letter's recipient reinforce the motif of the church bells?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare and contrast the detective characters in the story: Lord Peter Wimsey, Superintendent Blundell and Chief Inspector Parker. How do the techniques of Lord Peter, the amateur, compare with those of the professionals? Cite examples from the text to support your arguments.

Essay Topic 2

Each chapter in The Nine Tailors begins with an epigraph. Discuss the author's technique of using epigraphs to introduce her chapters. How do the epigraphs relate to the chapters they introduce? What do you think Dorothy L. Sayers intends to convey or accomplish through this technique? Cite examples from the text to support your arguments.

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the subplots in the novel. Explain how each subplot relates to the main plot and how it contributes to characterization in the novel. Cite examples from the text to support your arguments.

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