View a FREE sample

This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What is true of the tree Tom is sitting on?
(a) It bears the name of Absalom Crowninshield.
(b) It bears Tom's own name.
(c) The devil has lit it on fire.
(d) The devil claims that it fell down on its own.

2. What tool does the devil carry?
(a) A scythe.
(b) A blacksmith's hammer.
(c) A pitchfork.
(d) An axe.

3. What makes the item on Tom's desk ironic?
(a) Tom's superstition.
(b) Tom's job.
(c) The nature of Tom's enemy.
(d) The use of the item later in the story.

4. What can a reader infer is one of the devil's conditions in the bargain he makes with Tom?
(a) Tom will not tell anyone where he got the money.
(b) Tom will not get the money until he makes a sacrifice to the devil.
(c) Tom will give his soul to the devil.
(d) Tom will bring the devil other people to make bargains with.

5. What is the reason the narrator gives for Tom not fearing the devil?
(a) After fighting in several battles with Natives, Tom is too hardened to be afraid.
(b) Nothing scares Tom after having to deal with his wife.
(c) Tom does not believe in the devil.
(d) Tom thinks that he can outsmart the devil.

6. What does the narrator say that savin trees symbolize?
(a) Sterility.
(b) Greed.
(c) Hypocrisy.
(d) Anger.

7. Why does the narrator say that Tom starts criticizing his neighbors?
(a) His panic is making him more and more angry.
(b) Tom thinks that it makes him seem like a better person.
(c) They try to point out to him that he is selfish.
(d) They begin asking him for money.

8. In the passage about Tom's activities in church, what aspect of his character is being stressed?
(a) Miserliness.
(b) Loneliness.
(c) Hypocrisy.
(d) Selfishness.

9. In the version of the story that the narrator says is most likely to be true, what draws Tom's attention to the tree where his wife's apron hangs?
(a) Her name scratched into the bark of the tree.
(b) An eerie red light.
(c) The sound of crows calling.
(d) The tree is encircled with snakes.

10. What happens to all of Tom's money and property at the end of the story?
(a) The town elders donate it to the church.
(b) A mysterious man appears, claiming to be Tom's heir.
(c) Everything changes into ash, bone, and wood shavings.
(d) Tom's cheated clients divide it among themselves.

11. When the narrator says that Tom has built his house out of ostentation, what does this mean Tom's motive was?
(a) To show off.
(b) To intimidate his neighbors.
(c) To fill a necessary purpose.
(d) To glorify the devil.

12. Which city is close to the setting of "The Devil and Tom Walker"?
(a) Salem.
(b) Boston.
(c) Washington.
(d) New York.

13. Why does Tom tell his wife about his meeting with the devil?
(a) He and his wife have no secrets from one another.
(b) He is hoping that his wife will take his place in his bargain with the devil.
(c) The devil said that he would only make the bargain if Tom told his wife.
(d) He is uneasy about the meeting and needs to tell someone what happened.

14. What tone does the narrator adopt when saying that Tom is a friend to his clients?
(a) Nostalgic.
(b) Sorrowful.
(c) Condescending.
(d) Sarcastic.

15. What is one source of trouble in Tom Walker's marriage?
(a) Tom is physically abusive toward his wife.
(b) Tom's wife hides resources from him and keeps them for herself.
(c) Tom's wife often disappears into the forest overnight.
(d) Tom refuses to buy the luxuries his wife feels she deserves.

Short Answer Questions

1. Why does Tom Walker originally go into the swamp?

2. What does the devil say is one way he currently entertains himself?

3. What is the first thing that Tom does in an attempt to escape his bargain with the devil?

4. Whom does the narrator seem to blame for the situation of Tom's clients?

5. What is Tom's first mistake on his last day?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 768 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample