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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. Who joins the Alexanders for dinner at the hotel?

2. Who does Cosgrove ask Spenser about when they make small talk?

3. Who does Spenser talk about with Susan?

4. What drink does Spenser have with his lunch?

5. What religion does Alexander follow?

Short Essay Questions

1. How is Alexander being blackmailed?

2. How does Spenser counter Morris' threat of blackmail in this section?

3. How does Spenser force Pelletier to talk?

4. What does Cosgrove tell Spenser about Alexander and his political team?

5. What does Spenser do when he returns home from his office?

6. Why is Spenser so sad at the end of the section?

7. How does Spenser react to Alexander's telling him about the videotape?

8. What does Meade talk about at the University of Lowell?

9. What does Alexander say he plans to do if he can't find a way out of the blackmail?

10. What do Paul and Spenser say about Sarah in this section?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Examine Spenser's character across the whole series.

1. How does the author develop Spenser's character across the whole series?

2. What new elements does THE WIDENING GYRE add to Spenser's character?

Essay Topic 2

Compare Spenser's character to the person he was at the beginning of the book to the one he is at the end.

1. What did Spenser hope to achieve at the beginning of the book?

2. What events changes Spenser ideas about life?

3. How has Spenser's character changed by the end of the book?

Essay Topic 3

Choose one of Parker's previous book and contrast it with THE WIDENING GYRE in terms of the following;

1. Style.

2. Structure.

3. Themes.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 660 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample