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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What is the rumor in town about Absalom Crowninshield?
(a) That he has taken bribes.
(b) That he is a pirate.
(c) That he is a money lender.
(d) That he is a slave trader.

2. The narrator says that it is possible that Tom's wife was lost in a slough. Where would this mean she was lost?
(a) In forest.
(b) In wetland.
(c) In a cave.
(d) In a pit.

3. What is Tom doing at the office on his last day?
(a) Selling his business.
(b) Accepting an offer to run for governor.
(c) Foreclosing a mortgage.
(d) Buying the land the swamp sits on.

4. Who is William Kidd?
(a) The governor of Massachusetts.
(b) A neighbor of Tom Walker's.
(c) A sailor accused of being a pirate.
(d) A prominent citizen of Tom Walker's town.

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

Short Answer Questions

1. What does the narrator say his third attempt to evade the devil shows about Tom?

2. What is unusual about the house that Tom builds with the money he earns?

3. Whose clothing does the devil's clothing resemble?

4. What makes the item on Tom's desk ironic?

5. To what does the narrator metaphorically compare the financial speculation of Governor Belcher's time?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Tom's wife do as a result of his refusal to make a deal with the devil, and what is the outcome?

2. What kind of a person is Tom Walker's wife?

3. Who is the guardian of William Kidd's treasure, and why?

4. What is the significance of the devil's comment about Absalom Crowninshield's tree being ready to burn?

5. Before Tom and the devil part, how does the devil seal his side of the bargain and what does this allude to?

6. How does Tom treat his horses, and what does this illustrate about his character?

7. Describe the appearance of the devil in this story.

8. What becomes of Tom Walker and all of his wealth?

9. How does the narrator add to the credibility of the story by mentioning the various possible fates of Tom's wife?

10. What do Tom and the devil negotiate about before striking a bargain, and what is the bargain they strike?

(see the answer keys)

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