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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 is the name of the girl Penn was involved with during high school?

2. What does Penn do when he sees that Leo Marston has arrived at the fundraising party?

3. Who picks up Penn and his daughter from the airport?

4. What kind of gun was used to kill Hillman?

5. How does Penn characterize the man who convinces Penn to meet with him by telling Penn that his family is in danger?

Short Essay Questions

1. When Tom questioned Presley about why he only returned one gun, not two, what did Presley say?

2. According to Penn's mother, why had she been upset earlier on the phone?

3. When Penn announces to his parents that he is moving back to his hometown, how do Penn's parents react?

4. When Penn first meets with the person he agrees to be interviewed by, why is Penn stunned?

5. When Penn calls home to tell his parents that he is moving back to his hometown, he senses something is wrong. Why does Penn not press his mother for details?

6. After hearing Presley's response about why Presley only returned one gun, not two, what does Tom believe?

7. Why does Penn decide to move back to his hometown?

8. When Penn first confronts his father about what's bothering his father, how does Tom react?

9. After Hanratty is convicted, what does Hanratty's brother do?

10. Why does Pinder tell Penn that he's going to pretend to have never met Penn?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare and contrast how the character of Penn Cage changes as the story progresses. Be sure to include your assessment of Penn's character when he is first introduced in the story, when he moves back to Natchez, when Althea asks for his help finding Del's murderer, when he meets with Stone for the second time, and when he returns to Disney World at the end of the story. Use examples from the story to support your answer.

Essay Topic 2

Several times in the story, Penn seeks out the help of other people in order to move forward in both his investigation into the Payton murder and in his personal life.

a. Identify at least three times in the story in which Penn reaches out for help.

b. Compare and contrast each of these events in terms of the situation Penn is trying to understand, the effect of his asking for help, and the situation that immediately follows this time.

c. How might Penn's actions have impacted the story's plot if he hadn't reached out for help from others?

Essay Topic 3

The author uses several different literary techniques as the story is told in regard to the story's flow. Describe the techniques of both flashbacks and foreshadowing. How are each of these techniques used in the story? Give specific examples of each technique. Why might the author have chosen to use both of these techniques in the story? Was the story enhanced by the use of these two techniques? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 840 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample