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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 does Spenser say love is?

2. What does Spenser say baffles him about the case?

3. Where does Spenser take Susan for dinner?

4. What does Spenser ask Joe to do?

5. What does Spenser predict that Ronni will one day be involved in?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Spenser sympathize with the women he photographs in Gerry's bedroom?

2. In what way does this section show Spenser's psychological strength?

3. How does Spenser persuade Cynthia Knox to talk to him?

4. Why do Hawk and Spenser think Broz won't take the situation any further?

5. What realization does Susan come to about relationships at the beginning of this section?

6. What does Browne make Spenser realize about Joe Broz in Chapter 26?

7. Why does Susan think Meade Alexander is selfish?

8. How does Spenser show his sensitivity when dealing with Cynthia?

9. How does Spenser defeat Broz' men in this section?

10. What do Spenser and Quirk talk about in Chapter 30?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Identify the main themes of the story. In what way are these themes relevant to the period? How does the author use character and setting to express these themes?

Essay Topic 2

What are the main turning points of the book? How does Parker develop his story to get to each turning point? What happens to the story after a major turning point?

Essay Topic 3

Why do the students think Robert B. Parker ends the book as he does? Do the students think he could have ended the book in another way? What meaning would that new ending have given the book?

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This section contains 711 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample