The Midnight Visitor - Short Answers

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The Midnight Visitor - Short Answers

1. How does the author create tension in the scene?

The tension is built through the contrasting expectations of the characters and the unexpected events that unfold, such as Max's intrusion, the supposed police presence, and the revelation about the balcony.

2. What details contributed to the credibility of the balcony incident?

Ausable's frustration with the balcony's intrusion, mentioning it was the second time, and explaining its origin from the adjacent apartment added believability.

3. How did Max escape Ausable's room when he thought the police were at the door?

Max, feeling threatened, threatened Ausable, then attempted to exit through the window, claiming he'd wait on the balcony. Despite not confirming its existence, he went out the window and perished.

4. Who is Ausable?

Ausable is a fat man with an American accent living in Paris. He claims to be a secret agent, but his appearance and demeanor don't fit the typical spy archetype.

5. Who is Max?

Max is a slender man with a gun who confronts Ausable in his hotel room, seeking a report on new missiles that Ausable is expecting.

6. Describe Max as a secret agent.

Max was a rival secret agent of Ausable. He was slim and slightly shorter than average. He had a cunning look, resembling a fox. Besides his gun, he didn't seem threatening. He came to steal an important paper about new missiles but was outsmarted by Ausable and ended up jumping out of the window.

7. What happens when Max attempts to escape through the window?

Max attempts to escape through the window onto what he believes is a balcony. However, he screams and doesn't return when he realizes there's no balcony, suggesting a fatal fall.

8. What happened to Max after he jumped out of the window?

Max fell for Ausable's trick. Thinking there was a balcony and the police were outside, he got scared and jumped. He screamed once, then it was over. Ausable had outsmarted him and won.

9. Who was really knocking at the door? Was it planned?

Ausable made up a story about the police being there to protect him. He said he had an important report. But it was actually the waiter, Henry, knocking. He came in with drinks. Ausable had planned it all ahead to trick Max, his clever enemy.

10. How did smart Ausable defeat his enemy secret agent Max?

Ausable tricked Max by making him think there was a balcony outside the window. He scared Max by pretending the police were there. Confused, Max jumped out the window, but there was no balcony. Ausable used this plan to get rid of Max.

11. How did Max respond when Ausable said the loud knocks were from the police?

Ausable made up a story about the police being there to help him. Max got really mad when he heard this. He quickly went to the window and said to send the police away or he'd shoot.

12. What story did Ausable make up about the police coming? How did it make Max feel?

Ausable was smart and could think fast. When Max heard knocking, he got worried. Ausable said it was the police, there to protect him because he had important missile papers. This made Max nervous and confused.

13. Why and how did Max get into Ausable's room?

Max didn't accidentally stumble into Ausable's room; he used a passkey to enter. When Ausable turned on the light, he found Max there with a gun. Max had come to steal a crucial report about new missiles, which many people had already risked their lives to obtain.

14. How did Ausable handle Max? or How did Ausable get rid of Max?

Ausable made up a story about a balcony below the window. He convinced Max to think it was there. When the waiter knocked, Ausable said it was the police, making Max anxious. Max jumped out the window to the supposed balcony, but there wasn't one, and he fell to his death.

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