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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. A book written by which author is thrown at Marcy just before Terry's murder?

2. Who purchases the object from the gift shop that may be useful in the investigation of Terry?

3. What color hair does Terry's murderer have?

4. In what state does the narrative of The Outsider take place?

5. What kind of literature does Harlan Coben write?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who are Howie and Alec and in what way are they associated with one another?

2. Describe the relationship between Frank and Ollie prior to their deaths.

3. Who is Claude Bolton?

4. What major news about the case does Ralph deliver to Howie on the day of Terry's arraignment?

5. What is the strongest piece of evidence that refutes the most damning evidence against Terry?

6. Who shoots Terry and why?

7. What regret does Ralph experience when he sees the melee outside the courthouse on the day of Terry's arraignment?

8. In what condition is Frank's body found and what does the state of the body suggest about the killer?

9. What instructions does Howie give to Marcy when he tells her to go home even though Terry is still in jail?

10. What is the significance of the part title Sorry?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze King from an Existential perspective. What elements of life does it suggest hold the most meaning and why?

Essay Topic 2

Look carefully at the passages of The Outsider that describe strong marriage partnerships, such as the marriage of Ralph and Jeannie or the marriage between Terry and Marcy. What is King’s purpose for extensively portraying the characteristics of a strong marriage and its power to transform?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss King's choice to tell the story of The Outsider using a third person omniscient narrator. What elements of the novel's themes lend themselves to this choice and what are King’s intended effects on the reader?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 946 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample