Contents of the Dead Man's Pocket By Jack Finney Available on Commonlit. Licensed under CC-BY-NC-SA-4.0

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[69] He heard the sound, felt the blow, felt himself falling forward, and his hand closed on the living-room curtains, the shards and fragments of glass showering onto the floor. And then, kneeling there on the ledge. an arm thrust into the room up to the shoulder, he began picking away the protruding slivers and great wedges of glass from the window frame, tossing them in onto the rug. And, as he grasped the edges of the empty window frame and climbed into his home, he was grinning in triumph.
[70] He did not lie down on the floor or run through the apartment, as he had promised himself; even in the first few moments it seemed to him natural and normal that he should be where he was. He simply turned to his desk, pulled the crumpled yellow sheet from his pocket, and laid it down where it had been, smoothing it out; then he absently laid a pencil across it to weigh it down. He shook his head wonderingly, and turned to walk toward the closet.
[71] There he got out his topcoat and hat and, without waiting to put them on, opened the front door and stepped out, to go find his wife. He turned to pull the door closed and the warm air from the hall rushed through the narrow opening again. As he saw the yellow paper, the pencil flying, scooped off the desk and, unimpeded by the glassless window, sail out into the night and out of his life, Tom Benecke burst into laughter and then closed the door behind him.
1
What does Tom do immediately after entering his apartment?
A. He lies down on the floor to rest.
B. He pulls the yellow sheet from his pocket and places it on his desk.
C. He starts cleaning up the glass from the floor.
D. He immediately goes to sleep.
How does the author portray Tom's response to fear in the excerpt?
A. By showing Tom laughing and acting nonchalantly despite the dangerous situation.
B. By describing Tom's careful movements as he enters the apartment. C. By highlighting Tom's regret over risking his life for the yellow sheet.
D. By illustrating how meticulously Tom handles the glass shards.

1 answer

  1. What does Tom do immediately after entering his apartment?
    B. He pulls the yellow sheet from his pocket and places it on his desk.

  2. How does the author portray Tom's response to fear in the excerpt?
    A. By showing Tom laughing and acting nonchalantly despite the dangerous situation.