View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What illness does Tom contract during vacation?

2. Where had Joe gotten water?

3. How did the boys get to shore from their island?

4. How long does Tom have to stay after school?

5. What do Tom and Huck do instead of going to the haunted house?

Short Essay Questions

1. What evidence of Becky and Tom do the searchers find in the cave?

2. What does Tom say that people often find that leads them to a buried treasure?

3. What good deed does Tom do for Becky?

4. Does the Welshman take credit for saving Widow Douglas?

5. Describe what happens the first time Becky goes to sleep in the cave.

6. How does Tom feel when Injun Joe is found dead?

7. How does Tom treat Amy Lawrence when he comes back to school?

8. Describe what happens in the courtroom during Tom's testimony.

9. Why does Injun Joe want to harm the Widow Douglas?

10. What is the town's reaction after the murder trial?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the structure of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

1) In what ways is the structure of the novel episodic? What does the episodic nature of the novel add to its story?

2) What things does the author keep from the reader to build suspense? How does the author use surprise?

3) How does the structure of the novel follow the stages of Tom's development?

Essay Topic 2

Tom Sawyer is a mischievous trickster. Discuss the role of mischief and trickery in the novel.

1) Aunt Polly scolds and punishes Tom for his mischief, but she forgives him easily, too. When Tom thinks he'll die, he believes he'll go to hell for his misbehavior, but at his funeral, the pastor has nothing but good to say of the boys. How bad or wrong is Tom's mischief?

2) Why does Tom misbehave? What does Tom gain from his antics, and is the gain worth the price?

3) Besides Tom, how do other characters get into mischief? Compare and contrast other characters' mischievous behavior with Tom's.

Essay Topic 3

Superstition and myth is an important part of Tom Sawyer's worldview. Discuss superstition and myth in the novel.

1) What superstitions and myths does Tom believe in? Why does Tom believe in these superstitions and myths?

2) What does Tom do when events in reality contradict the myths or superstitions he believes in? Why does he react this way?

3) What are the other characters' opinions and beliefs about myths, superstitions, or the supernatural? How does Tom use Polly's belief in the supernatural to manipulate her?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 807 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample