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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. As the weapon carried by Bemis, what is the Allen revolver known for?

2. What does Capt. John Nye help the narrator's party find?

3. What happens to the mules as they become tired from the heat of the desert?

4. Where are the vigilantes from that hang Slade?

5. How do the miners claim the ledge on the side of the mountain?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the writing style of Mark Twain that is established in the Prefatory?

2. How long is the Prefatory in Roughing It, and what is its purpose?

3. How do the narrator and his crew respond to the prospect of freezing to death?

4. What warning is the narrator and his party given as they approach the Honey Lake Smith's Inn, and what is their response?

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

6. How does the narrator describe the Goshoot Indians?

7. How does the narrator describe the coyotes he sees?

8. What role does the press play in the mining industry of Nevada and how does it affect the narrator?

9. What are Twain's views about the amount of information in the book, as he states in the Prefatory?

10. What is the Great American Desert like, and what is interesting about Carson Lake?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

The situations of Jack Williams and Captain Ned Blakely are used to depict the value placed on reputations in the West during the 1800s.

1) Explain Jack Williams' professions, how they contradict each other, and why the narrator includes his story to describe how retaliation was used in building reputations.

2) Describe the actions of Ned Blakely, the events leading up to the trial, how he influences the verdict, and the way his outlook on retaliation reinforces the point the narrator is making.

Essay Topic 3

Compare and contrast the narrator's trip on the stage coach to the trip made by a reporter after the railroad is completed. Also, include the point the author is making with the comparison and why he chooses to contrast his trip with a future one.

(see the answer keys)

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