Contents of the Dead Man's Pockets Quiz

Author

• Jack Finney is the author of "Contents of the Dead Man's Pockets."

Emphasis

• The story highlights the importance of the setting.

Setting

• The narrative unfolds in New York City, specifically in an 11th-floor apartment on Lexington Avenue and on the precarious ledge outside.

Contrast in Settings

• Apartment: warm, secure, comfortable, spacious, inviting.
• Ledge: cold, insecure, narrow, chilly, confining, uncomfortable, perilous.

Conflicts

• Man vs. Environment: Tom faces the challenges of the ledge.
• Man vs. Himself: Tom battles his inner fears.
• Value System vs. Value System: The tension between personal fulfillment and business success, highlighting materialism versus human relationships.

Characters

• Tom and Clare Benecke are the central characters; Tom is dynamic while Clare remains static.
• Tom works in the wholesale grocery business.

Theme

• The story illustrates that the true significance of life becomes clearer when confronted with mortality.

Symbol

• The yellow paper symbolizes Tom's hard work and ambitions initially but ultimately reflects fleeting aspirations and a wasted life.

Climax

• The pivotal moment occurs when Tom calls out "Clare!" as he resolves his conflict by smashing the window.

Suspense

• The title suggests impending death, with the author effectively building tension throughout the story.

Ways Tom Signals for Help

• He calls out for assistance.
• He lights scrap paper multiple times to create a flame.
• He drops coins from his pockets in groups of three or four.

Irony of Situation

• The yellow paper, which Tom risked his life to recover, eventually exits through the broken window, evoking laughter from Tom.

Life Lesson

• The narrative conveys that pursuing ambition at the expense of human relationships diminishes life's meaning.

Jack Finney's Life Span

• Finney lived from 1911 to 1995 and was an American writer.

Finney's Most Famous Works

• "The Body Snatchers" (1955), reprinted as "The Invasion of the Body Snatchers" (1973).
• Other notable novels include "Time and Again" (1970) and "About Time" (1986).
• "The Love Letter" (1998), a television movie, was adapted from one of his short stories.
• Several movies, such as "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" (1978) and "Body Snatchers" (1993), are based on his works.

Jack Finney's Death

• Finney passed away from pneumonia and emphysema in 1995.