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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 Tom's wife go into the swamp, looking for the devil?
(a) She does not believe Tom and wants to see for herself.
(b) She wants to tell the devil to stay away from her husband.
(c) She wants to argue for more money.
(d) She wants to strike the bargain with him herself.

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

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

4. What unusual slang word does the devil use for money?
(a) Poppet.
(b) Skins.
(c) Bobbin.
(d) Rhino.

5. What causes Tom to start to worry about the deal he has made with the devil?
(a) He thinks that he sees the ghost of his wife.
(b) He gets older and begins to worry about death.
(c) He hears a traveling preacher speak.
(d) He has a near-miss with a carriage accident.

Short Answer Questions

1. To whom does Tom think the forested swampland belongs?

2. On what land feature did the old Native stronghold stand?

3. What does Tom begin keeping on the desk in his office?

4. When Tom opens the apron, what does he find inside?

5. What does the narrator say is hard to believe about the conversation between Tom and the devil?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Tom do with his money and what does it show about his personality?

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

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

4. What is the implication of the conversation between the devil and Tom about the ownership of the swamp land?

5. What does Tom believe happened to his wife, and why, and how does he feel about it?

6. How does Tom's wife react to his news, and what is his response to her?

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

8. What natural event happens in the area in 1727, and what is its thematic significance?

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

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

(see the answer keys)

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