Be sure to choose each answer carefully. You get only one try to answer each question correctly!
For Questions 1-12, please mark the letter of the correct definition of the given vocabulary word.
apothecary
a question
property
dark
a pharmacist
emblem
a symbol
to relieve
silent
a preference
taciturn
a symbol
to relieve
silent
a preference
antagonism
hostility
devotion
cruel
clothes
tyrannical
hostility
devotion
cruel
clothes
assuage
a symbol
to relieve
silent
a preference
predilection
a symbol
to relieve
silent
a preference
query
a question
property
dark
a pharmacist
chattel
a question
property
dark
a pharmacist
apparel
hostility
devotion
cruel
clothes
piety
hostility
devotion
cruel
clothes
morbid
a question
property
dark
a pharmacist
What part of speech is the word
morbid?
noun
verb
adjective
adverb
Whom does Doug decide to kill in “The Utterly Perfect Murder”?
his childhood tormentor
his wife
his brother
his father
Which of the following
isn’t something that surprises Doug about Ralph?
Ralph’s size
Ralph’s paleness
Ralph’s memory
Ralph’s rudeness
What “weapon” does Doug use to “murder” his victim?
Doug’s gun
Ralph’s gun
Doug’s finger
Ralph’s cruelty
Which of the following sentencesisn’t a fragment (and is a complete sentence)?
Believing Temas an unworthy opponent.
Feared the laughter of his friends.
Standing at the center of the circle.
The young man showed no fear.
Where does
To Kill a Mockingbird take place?
Meridian, Miss.
Maycomb, Alabama
Finch’s Landing, S.C.
Mayberry, N.C.
Why does Dill end up in Scout and Jem’s hometown?
He is visiting his aunt for the summer.
His parents have recently passed away.
He ran away from home to escape his father.
He came looking for the truth about Boo.
Which of the following
isn’t something that we believe to be true about Boo?
His real name is Arthur.
He is the second son in the Radley family.
Atticus is actually his father.
He was in trouble with the law.
Which sentence is written
correctly?
When someone is younger, he/she is more willing to listen to what his/her friends say about what he/she should wear.
When someone is younger they are more willing to listen to what their friends say about what they should wear.
When someone is younger, they are more willing to listen to what their friends say about what they should wear.
When someone are younger, they are more willing to listen to what their friends say about what they should wear.
In the short story “An Utterly Perfect Murder,” how is the “murder” in the story “utterly perfect”?
The murder is “utterly perfect” in the story because Doug does literally murder his childhood enemy. He eliminates Ralph and his long-held grudge by shooting the bully and disposing of the murder weapon. By doing so, he frees himself from the pain of his own memories and brings about a vigilante's justice.
The murder is “utterly perfect” in the story because Doug does literally murder his wife. He eliminates her and his long-held grudge against her nagging from his own mind. By doing so, he frees himself from the pain of his own memories and from an unhappy marriage.
The murder is “utterly perfect” in the story because Doug does literally murder his evil brother. He eliminates him physically and his long-held grudge against the supercilious older brother from his own mind. By doing so, he frees himself from the pain of his own memories.
The murder is “utterly perfect” in the story because Doug doesn’t literally murder his childhood enemy. He only eliminates Ralph and his long-held grudge against the bully from his own mind. By doing so, he frees himself from the pain of his own memories.
How does Doug, the narrator of Ray Bradbury’s “The Utterly Perfect Murder,” change from the beginning of the story to the end? How does his state of mind change? How does his outlook change? How does his motivation change? What has the biggest impact on the changes that Doug goes through and how does it impact him? Can you imagine yourself reacting in a similar manner?
Doug, the narrator of Bradbury’s “The Utterly Perfect Murder,” changes very little from the beginning of the story to the end. For one thing, his state of mind does not change because he is fixated upon killing his childhood tormentor, Ralph, at the beginning of the story, and he continues to have his murderous thoughts until the end. His outlook does not change, in that, by the end of the narrative, he is still preoccupied on thoughts of his early life. Finally, his motivation has not evolved by the end of the work. He is motivated to live in the “Past and Today” (p. 24) for the rest of his life. All of examples are brought on by his encounter with the intimidating bully, Ralph. The fact that Ralph is still an arrogant, strong bully confirms Doug’s fear-stricken memories. His memories are further confirmed by Ralph’s evil and malicious disposition. Able to carry through with his murderous plans, Doug excises what’s left of his vengeful spirit by pointing a gun at his enemy and pulling the trigger. The literal impact of this act is more powerful than a figurative act could have ever been. Ralph is dead to Doug, as he is to everyone. All that’s left to do to achieve full closure is for Doug to turn himself in and to call upon the young version of himself, as Ralph never did. This freed child accompanies the narrator as he leaves his childhood home and leaves all of his tainted memories behind. Certainly, like most readers, I can imagine staying true to my outlook when confronted with modern realities--like Doug’s--that shatter the confinement of my memories.
Doug, the narrator of Bradbury’s “The Utterly Perfect Murder,” changes drastically from the beginning of the story to the end. For one thing, his state of mind changes because he is fixated upon killing his childhood tormentor, Ralph, at the beginning of the story, and he has given up on his murderous thoughts by the end. His outlook also changes in that, by the end of the narrative, he is no longer preoccupied on thoughts of his early life. Finally, his motivation has evolved by the end of the work. He is motivated to live in the “Now and Today” (p. 24) for the rest of his life. All of these changes are brought on by his encounter with the formerly intimidating bully, Ralph. The fact that Ralph is now a small, pale, sickly, old man contradicts Doug’s fear-stricken memories. His memories are further challenged by Ralph’s meek and even genial disposition. Unable to carry through with his murderous plans, Doug excises what’s left of his vengeful spirit by pointing his finger (in an imitation of a gun) and telling Ralph that he’s dead. The figurative impact of this act is as powerful as the literal act could have ever been. Ralph is, in a sense, dead to Doug, along with all of the bullied man’s painful memories. All that’s left to do to achieve full closure is for Doug to call upon the young version of himself, as Ralph never did. This freed child accompanies the narrator as he leaves his childhood home and leaves all of his tainted memories behind. Certainly, like most readers, I can imagine changing my outlook when confronted with modern realities--like Doug’s--that shatter the confinement of my memories.
Doug, the narrator of Bradbury’s “The Utterly Perfect Murder,” changes drastically from the beginning of the story to the end. For one thing, his state of mind never changes because he is fixated upon killing his wife, Daisy, at the beginning of the story, and he has not given up on his murderous thoughts by the end. His outlook does not change, in that, by the end of the narrative, he is still preoccupied on thoughts of his early life. Finally, his motivation to destroy his wife lasts until the end of the work. He is motivated to live in the “Past and Today” (p. 24) for the rest of his life. His strength of conviction is brought on by his encounter with the formerly intimidating bully, Ralph. The fact that Ralph is now a small, pale, sickly, old man makes Doug realize how much he has changed over the years. No longer fear-stricken, he has the confidence to shoot his wife. Able to carry through with his murderous plans, Doug excises what’s left of his vengeful spirit by eliminating the last bully in his life. The murderous act literally kills his wife and figuratively kills bad childhood memories. Ralph is, in a sense, dead to Doug, along with all of the bullied man’s painful memories. All that’s left to do to achieve full closure is for Doug to turn himself in to the authorities and call upon the young version of himself, as Ralph never did. This freed child accompanies the narrator as he leaves his childhood home and leaves all of his tainted memories behind. Certainly, like most readers, I can imagine changing my outlook when confronted with modern realities--like Doug’s--that shatter the confinement of my memories.
Doug, the narrator of "The Utterly Perfect Murder," changes from a scared kid to a successful murderer. His state of mind changes from weak to strong. His outlook changes from one of a victim to one of a vigilante. His motivation changes from seeking survival to seeking revenge. The biggest impact results from his visit to his childhood bully. Seeing that Ralph is now weak, Doug realizes that his brother, too, has aged. Now Doug can plan the perfect murder. No, I cannot imagine myself reacting in a similar manner.