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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 city is the narrator in when he waits in line to see a woman while mining?

2. How is Nookes thrown overboard from Blakely's boat?

3. How does the narrator feel before giving the first lectures?

4. How much money does the narrator borrow from the bank in Chapter LV?

5. Where is the preacher, Erickson, originally from?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What is the City of Refuge?

3. What is the rivalry between Captain Ned Blakely and Bill Nookes?

4. How does Nevada change during the flush times, and what are nabobs?

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

6. What lifestyle does the narrator have in the first few months of his stay in San Francisco, and how does it change dramatically?

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

8. What difficulties does the narrator have in finding stories to write?

9. How long does the narrator stay in Hawaii, and in what way does the author's literary tone change in these chapters?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Mr. Whiteman is the elusive subject of another plan to strike it rich by the narrator.

1) Describe the background of Mr. Whiteman and why it is believed that he can lead people to a gold mine.

2) Describe Mono Lake and the narrator's experiences there. Include what the lake represents in the theme of the narrator's quest for fortune.

3) Explain how the author successfully introduces events surrounding a character that never appears.

Essay Topic 2

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 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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