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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. What does the narrator find on the islands of Mono Lake?

2. Where is the monument for Captain Cook located?

3. What does the narrator do before he leaves to visit Capt. John Nye?

4. Where does Higbie go on the same day that the narrator leaves to take care of Capt. John Nye?

5. What is the name of the paper that the narrator is supposed to write for in Virginia, before it goes out of print?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the narrator describe San Francisco?

2. How does the narrator describe the trip from Hawaii to San Francisco and what is his situation once he arrives there?

3. How does the narrator begin working for the Enterprise in Virginia?

4. Who is Higbie, and why is he valuable for the narrator's search of Mr. Whiteman?

5. How long is the narrator's trip, and what does he conclude at the end of the story?

6. How does the narrator describe Mono Lake?

7. Why is the narrator's work never published in The Weekly Occidental?

8. What happens when the narrator encounters a band of highway bandits after a lecture?

9. How does the narrator describe Hawaii and what initial setback does he encounter there?

10. What is on the islands in the center of Mono Lake?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The Great American Desert and the repetitive story of Hank Monk and Horace Greeley both prove to be frustrating for the narrator.

1) Describe how the Great American Desert appears, why it is different than the narrator expects, and the difficulty his stage coach experiences there.

2) Explain what the story of Hank Monk and Horace Greeley is about, how it is presented to the travelers, and why it is the source of frustration for the narrator. Also, include what the intention of the story is meant to be and why it has the opposite effect for the narrator.

3) Describe the literary technique that Twain uses in order to convey the repetitiveness of the story and why he is effective in helping the reader to understand his objection to it.

Essay Topic 2

Twain uses a variety of literary techniques to bring his story to life in Roughing It.

1) Describe 3 examples of symbolism and how they are important to the theme of the story.

2) Describe 3 examples of foreshadowing and their impact on the narrator's life experiences.

3) Explain at least 3 examples of how Twain uses both humor and descriptions to provide an informative, yet entertaining account of the changing West in the 1800s.

Essay Topic 3

Describe Mark Twain's objectives of writing Roughing It. Use the information in the Prefatory to explain his reasons for chronicling his adventures and the style he intends to use in the book. Then, provide examples that display how Twain accomplishes his objectives on multiple levels.

(see the answer keys)

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