Hammett, The Thin Man
Directions: After reading the lecture, answer one of the two questions below. This answer is due no later than Thursday, October 20.
A well thought out answer will probably be two or three substantial paragraphs (250-350 words on average).
Your responses to other students' answers are due by midnight on Saturday, October 22. Remember: in order to get the full 20 points, you MUST respond thoughtfully to at least 3 or 4 other people's postings.
This set of discussion questions is worth a possible 20 points. Late answers receive 0 points, so post early :)
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Just answer one of the following questions.
1. Why does Hammett include the Packer story (told in Chapter 13) in the novel? How does it relate to the plot or theme(s) of The Thin Man?
2. The traditional mystery novel ends with all the questions answered; the good guys win and the bad guys are punished. Is that the case in this novel? Explain, giving specific examples and direct quotes from the novel for support.
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