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

Short Answer Questions

1. How many miles from Salt Lake City does Chapter XIX begin?

2. What is the narrative of Roughing It?

3. What is noted as particularly impressive about the style of the book?

4. How many feet of dirt is Hyde's ranch buried underneath?

5. How much will the narrator's brother be paid for his new job?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the situation of Mr. Street and how does it provide an example of Utah's way of governing for the narrator?

2. How is the breakfast that the narrator is served in Nebraska described, and what future traveling accommodations does he compare his situation to?

3. How do the members of the narrator's mining party get lost in Chapter XXXII, and what happens with their attempts to start a fire?

4. What is the weather like in Unionville and what does the narrator find there?

5. What is the reality of the alkali desert as the narrator experiences it after leaving Salt Lake City?

6. What leads the narrator and his party to Esmeralda?

7. As stated in the Prefatory, what is Twain's intention in writing Roughing It?

8. How does the author build up the anticipation for the book in the Prefatory?

9. How does the narrator describe the Goshoot Indians?

10. What are the limitations of the stage coach that is going to Carson City, Nevada, and which items does the narrator take with him?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

A two-day visit to Salt Lake City gives the narrator a chance to analyze the lifestyle of the Mormons.

1) Describe how the narrator views the Mormons, the way he approaches his analysis of them, and why.

2) Explain the different cultures that the Mormons have during the 1800s and the reasons for them.

3) Describe 3 examples that the author uses to depict the Mormons' philosophy and way of life, along with the conclusion he makes for each example.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay that provides a detailed character analysis of the narrator. Include explanations of his main skills and character traits along with how they differ from other central characters that exist in different novels. Also, describe how the narrator connects with the reader and why that is essential to the effectiveness of the story. Use examples from the entire book to support your analysis.

Essay Topic 3

The beginning of the narrator's trip is a preview of the events that lie ahead for him as well as the overall tone of the book.

1) Describe the events that cause the narrator to travel to the West, including the anticipated length of the trip.

2) Explain the limitations of space and amenities on the mail coach that the narrator rides on and how that parallels one of the story's themes.

3) Describe some of the ironic situations or setbacks that the narrator encounters in the initial chapters and how they establish the author's tone in the book.

(see the answer keys)

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