GENERAL INFO
Who is the author of Contents of the Dead Man’s Pocket?
(Jack Finney)
What flies out the window that causes Tom to go outside?
(A yellow sheet of paper with his notes)
Why does Tom not go to the movies with Clare?
(He’s working on his business idea)
What might the yellow paper symbolize?
(Ambition or misplaced priorities)
Define: “projection” as used in the story.
(A part that juts out or extends beyond something else)
What is the main character’s name?
(Tom Benecke)
What does Clare, Tom’s wife, leave to do?
(Go see a movie alone)
What causes Tom to risk going out on the ledge?
(His important paper blew out the window)
What does the window symbolize?
(A barrier between life and death or comfort and risk
Define: “imperceptibly.”
(So slowly or slightly as to be barely noticeable)
What is the setting (city and general location)?
(New York City, high-rise apartment)
Where does Tom go to retrieve the paper?
(Along a narrow ledge outside his apartment window)
What is the effect of the paper being retrieved but then blowing out again?
(Tom laughs and realizes it no longer matters)
The ledge could symbolize what about Tom’s life?
(The edge he’s living on by valuing work over love)
Define: “rebounded.”
(Bounced back or off something)
What genre best fits this story?
(Realistic fiction with suspense elements)
What almost causes Tom to fall off the building?
(He looks down and panics, dropping coins to test the height)
Why does the window slam shut behind him?
(Air pressure from the open door causes it to close)
Tom’s laughter at the end symbolizes what change?
(He now sees what really matters: his life and relationships)
What is the meaning of “convoluted”?
(Extremely complex and difficult to follow)
What was Tom working on that was so important?
(A business proposal for a grocery display idea)
What decision does Tom make after safely returning inside?
(He decides to go find his wife and live a fuller life)
How does Tom finally break the window to get back inside?
(He punches it with his fist wrapped in his shoe)
The title suggests what ironic possibility?
(He nearly died for something that wouldn’t have mattered—“dead man’s pockets”)
What does “tamped” mean in the phrase “his breath tamped out”?
(Pressed or packed down)