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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. Where does the narrator begin touring for his lectures?

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

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

4. How many days does the narrator give his first lecture for?

5. Why does the narrator resign as chief editor of the newspaper so quickly?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

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

5. What is pocket mining and the result of the narrator's attempt at it?

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

7. What are the two different reasons that both the narrator and Higbie abandon their blind lead claim, and what is the result?

8. What is the new career choice the narrator makes towards the end of the book, and how does it begin?

9. Why is finding a good horse a difficult task in Hawaii?

10. What causes the narrator to travel to San Francisco?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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.

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

One of the major lessons in Roughing It is the contradiction in the notion of becoming rich with little effort. This theme is returned to a number of different times throughout the book.

1) Explain what the goal of the narrator is in Nevada and why he believes it is possible.

2) Describe 3 ways that the narrator attempts to achieve his goal and the results of them.

3) Analyze the concept of becoming rich with little work, including what the author's message about it is in the book, and how the narrator's opinion of it changes.

(see the answer keys)

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