IHN Chapter Questions
In The Heat of the Night – Chapter Questions
Chapter 1.
1. What is the name of the city where the novel takes place? How many people live there? (pg.1)
Sample Answer:
The name of the city where the novel takes place is Wells; there are 11 thousand people who live there.
“At ten minutes to three in the morning, the city of Wells lay inert, hot and stagnant. Most of its eleven thousand people tossed restlessly…” (IHN, page 1)
2. What was the name of the police officer on duty? (pg.1)
3. Why did Sam decide not to go into the Purdy house even though there was a light on at 3:15 a.m.? (pg.4)
4. Why did Sam go to the all night drive in? Who did he talk to there? (Pg. 4-5)
5. What did Sam see lying on the road? (pg.7)
6. Who was the dead man? What was his job? (pg. 9)
7. What two neighbourhoods/ districts are mentioned? What does this indicate to the reader?
Chapter 2.
1. Who was Bill Gillespie? Why was he awakened at 4:04 am? (Pg 10)
2. Where did Bill tell Sam to go? Why? (Pg. 13)
3. Who did Sam see once he arrived at the train station? Describe him. (Pg. 14)
4. What was Sam’s first reaction to this man? (Pg 14-15)
5. How did the "prisoner" react to Sam? (Pg. 17)
6. What was the prisoner’s name and what was the surprising information he gave Bill?
(Pg. 18-19)
Chapter 3.
1. Why did Sam feel a little respect for Virgil? (Pg.20)
2. Why did Sam dislike Bill? (Pg. 20)
3. What was the name of the book Virgil was reading? (Pg.22)
4. What was Tibbs a specialist at doing? (Pg. 23)
5. How do we know the boy at the diner was afraid of Gillespie? (Pg.26)
6. Why does Gillespie believe the murder was a simple case of robbery? (Pg. 26)
7. What was Tibbs doing when Gillespie returned to the police station. (Pg. 27)
8. Where did Gillespie send Sam? (Pg. 28-29)
9. Who was arrested for the murder? (pg 29)
Chapter 4.
1. What was Bill going to give Virgil for breakfast? (Pg. 31)
2. How did Bill describe Harvey? (Pg. 32)
3. How did Harvey get the wallet? ( pg. 33)
4. Why did Virgil think Harvey was innocent? (Pg. 34-36)
5. Why did Sam want Mantoli’s daughter to come to the police station? Who goes in her place? (Pg. 40)
6. What position does Endicott hold in town? ( pg. 41)
Chapter 5.
1. Why does Bill change his mind and agree to accept Virgil’s help? (Pg. 46-47)
2. Why didn’t Bill really want to pick up Virgil? (Pg.48)
3. How long was Virgil going to be in town? (Pg. 48)
4. How does Virgil plan to protect himself from being the "fall guy"? (pg. 50)
5. Where were the people Virgil said he would use for his references? (Pg. 52)
6. Who was Eric Kaufmann? (Pg.52)
7. Where was Kaufmann on the night of the murder? (Pg. 53)
8. What did Duena ask Sam about how her father died? (Pg. 56)
9. What did Duena say most Italians are believed to be? (Pg. 57)
Chapter 6
1. What does Virgil say girls like Delores would be called in California? ( Pg. 63)
2. Where was Mantoli’s wallet when Oberst found it? (Pg. 65)
3. Where did Virgil go after talking to Oberst? (Pg. 66)
4. Who was coming down the hill when Sam Wood was going to the Endicott house? (Pg. 68)
5. What feeling did Sam have that night on patrol? (Pg. 71)
Chapter 7
1. At what time did Kaufmann arrive at his hotel? (Pg. 73)
2. Who did Ralph blame for the murder? (Pg. 74-75)
3. What did Gillespie not want to admit about Mr. Tibbs? (Pg. 76)
4. What type of security clearance did Mr. Gottschalk have? (Pg. 77)
5. What was the reason Mr. Gottschalk travelled at night? (Pg. 78)
6. What did Virgil reveal to bill at the end of the chapter (pg. 79)
Chapter 8
1. Why was Virgil in the south to begin with? (pg. 82)
2. Where did Virgil say that Mantoli was killed? (Pg. 82)
3. How did Virgil and Reverend Whiteburn plan to find the murder weapon? (Pg. 83)
4. What was the name of the newspaper that wanted to print the Mantoli murder? (Pg. 86)
5. Why was Virgil waiting for Sam that night? (Pg. 88)
6. What was the word that explained how Sam had felt the night before? (Pg. 90)
7. Why did Sam make a change in the route he had followed the night of the murder? (Pg. 95)
8. What does Sam get for Virgil on the night of their ride together? (Pg. 96)
Chapter 9
1. How did Bill celebrate getting the job as Chief- of- police? (Pg.98)
2. Why was Kaufmann at the police station when Bill got there? (Pg. 99)
3. What was in the letter that Bill got from a stranger? (Pg. 102)
4. Why did Bill phone the bank about Sam? (Pg. 105)
5. What did Bill find out about Sam that was unusual? (Pg. 107)
6. Why did Kaufmann want to see Sam that morning?(pg. 108)
7. What did Virgil place on Bill’s desk? (Pg. 111)
8. Who had Bill arrested for thr murder of Mantoli? (Pg 112)
9. What did Virgil respond to this? (Pg. 111)
Chapter 10
1. How was Bill feeling the night that he arrested Sam? (Pg. 114)
2. Who came to see Bill the next day? (Pg. 115)
3. What was Delores’ real age? (Pg.116)
4. What was Purdy’s reaction when Virgil came into the room? (Pg. 117)
5. Who did Mr. Purdy blame for getting his daughter pregnant? (Pg. 118)
6. At what time did Mantoli leave the Endicott’s house on the night he was murdered? (Pg. 120)
7. Where does Duena go with Virgil? (Pg. 124)
8. Why was Sam embarrassed when he got a visitor? (Pg. 126)
9. What did Duena do that really surprised Sam? (Pg. 129)
Chapter 11
1. What part was Virgil playing when they broke up the cocaine ring in California? (Pg.131)
2. What happened when Virgil left the house of the Mechanic after he had eaten there? (Pg. 132)
3.Why did Bill ask Virgil to leave after that incident? (Pg. 136)
4.Where did Delores tell Virgil to go when he knocked on the door? (Pg. 137)
5. According to Virgil, what was the only way a man could prove he didn’t have "relations" with a girl? (Pg.139)
6. List the things that Virgil did after Delores named Sam as the man who got her pregnant? (Pg. 141-142)
Chapter 12
1. What were the two pieces of good news that the Endicotts gave to Duena? (Pg. 143-144)
2. What did Duens think about Sam? (Pg.144)
3. According to the mayor, what were they planning to do if Bill didn’t straighten out the murder soon? (Pg.146)
4. Why would Virgil not give up on the case and go home? (Pg.147)
5. What did Virgil say about the Purdys? (Pg. 151)
6. What did he say about Delores? (Pg. 152)
7. What did Virgil say about the charges Delores Purdy made against Sam Wood ?