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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. Why does the narrator say that only Tom Walker would have the nerve to stop at the Native stronghold in the sawmp?
(a) There is a rumor that the Natives worshiped the devil there.
(b) The area is still frequented by a hostile Native tribe.
(c) Other townspeople have seen the devil there.
(d) The area is overrun with snakes and alligators.

2. What does Tom find in the mud of the swamp?
(a) A piece of gold.
(b) A human skull.
(c) A serpent.
(d) The remains of a sacrifice to the devil.

3. Tom agrees to become a usurer. What job is he saying he will do?
(a) He will invest money on behalf of other people.
(b) He will loan money at high interest rates.
(c) He will become a landlord.
(d) He will buy and sell land.

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

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

Short Answer Questions

1. When the narrator refers to Tom's parsimony, what characteristic is being discussed?

2. What significant event happened in Massachusetts in 1727?

3. What does the narrator say makes it difficult to know what actually happened to Tom's wife?

4. 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?

5. Why does the devil stay away from Tom for a while after Tom's wife disappears?

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 implicit racism is there in the description of the fort that once stood in the swamp?

3. What two reasons does the narrator give for Tom's fearlessness in the swamp and upon meeting the devil?

4. The devil lists several of his own nicknames for Tom; what pattern can be seen in these names, and what is its significance?

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

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

7. What recent events lead to Tom's business being so successful?

8. What things does the devil say he supervises on earth?

9. What does Tom find in the mud of the swamp, and why does the narrator describe it as a memento?

10. What is the reaction of the Walkers' neighbors to their fighting?

(see the answer keys)

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