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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. What does Polly give Tom as reward for finishing his chore?

2. Who is Jim?

3. What does Tom say the sound of the wind in the trees might be?

4. Why does Tom decide to run away?

5. Who do Tom and Huck think Muff Potter, Injun Joe, and Doctor Robinson are when they first approach?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Aunt Polly's reaction to Tom's disappearance?

2. When Tom talks and is restless in his sleep, how is his behavior explained?

3. Describe Amy Lawrence's reactions during Sunday School.

4. How does Tom trick other boys into doing his work for him?

5. What do Tom and Huck do with their pact after they sign it?

6. What does Huck caution Tom about when speaking of the dead?

7. What story does Huck Finn recall to cast doubt on the omen the boys see?

8. Describe Polly's reaction when Tom says he's done with the whitewashing.

9. How does Tom find his lost marble?

10. Describe what Tom hears while he waits for Huck.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Throughout the novel, people show off, or posture. Tom shows off when he wants to get Becky's attention, but showing off is not just for children. The Sunday School teacher shows off for important guests, and the schoolmaster shows off for the parents and town.

1) Why do the characters in the novel show off? What do they hope to gain?

2) What different forms does "showing off" take? Why are these actions supposed to impress others?

3) How aware are the characters of others' "showing off"? How effective is it?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the structure of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

1) In what ways is the structure of the novel episodic? What does the episodic nature of the novel add to its story?

2) What things does the author keep from the reader to build suspense? How does the author use surprise?

3) How does the structure of the novel follow the stages of Tom's development?

Essay Topic 3

Tom Sawyer is a dramatic person. He creates melodrama out of the events of his life.

1) Why does Tom Sawyer take on a melodramatic attitude of pining for Becky and then depression when Becky rejects him? Who is this attitude aimed at?

2) How and why does Tom dramatize the things that he does, such as running away to become a pirate? Why does Tom choose to let his family suffer, thinking he's dead, so that he can make his reemergence more dramatic?

3) What is the origin of Tom's desire for drama?

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