Ruthless

What event sets the main action of the story in motion?

• Judson forgetting his boots

• Marcia’s departure for Alec’s house

• the theft of some of Judson’s liquor

• the end of the summer vacation season

How does Alec’s arrival at the cabin affect the events of the story?

• It leads to Marcia leaving her husband.

• It leads to Judson drinking poisoned whiskey

• It leads to the theft of some of Judson’s liquor.

• It leads to an argument between Judson and Marcia.

Which of the following actions causes Marcia’s fear?

• “he turned from the bathroom cabinet, entered the expensively primitive living room of his mountain camp, and crossed to a closet set in the pine wall” (Paragraph 2)

• “he had been packing his things away for the Winter, and in a few minutes would be driving back to civilization” (Paragraph 2)

• “she saw the bottle in her husband’s hand” (Paragraph 7)

• “one by one he dropped the tablets into the bottle and held it up to watch them dissolve” (Paragraph 12)

How does the conversation between Judson and his wife develop the plot of the passage?

• It causes Alec to retaliate against Judson

• It prompts Marcia to go to warn Alec’s wife about the poison

• It causes Judson to be distracted by Marcia’s obvious distress

• It prompts Judson to consider throwing out the poisoned whiskey.

Which statement expresses the main theme of the story?

• No crime is bad enough to warrant another person’s death.

• It’s important to take the opinions of loved ones into consideration.

• There will be consequences if people take justice into their own hands.

• It is fair to make sure a person’s punishment fits the crime they committed.

Which detail from the text best reveals Judson’s belief about crime and punishment?

• “He corked his bottled vengeance and set it back on the shelf alongside the little whiskey glass.” (Paragraph 14)

• “Also, the use of rat poison is quite legal. The only way any rat can get into this closet is to break in.” (Paragraph 17)

• “We won’t be here till next spring. I can’t bear to think of that deathtrap waiting there all the time.” (Paragraph 22)

• “‘and don’t worry about your poor, abused little burglar. No one is going to get hurt who hasn’t got it coming to him.’” (Paragraph 25)

How does Judson Webb cause his own death in “Ruthless”? Be sure to identify the most important lines of dialogue or events in the story and explain how they cause an important decision or action to take place.