View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. How many feet of dirt is Hyde's ranch buried underneath?

2. How do the other travelers react to Bemis' story about the buffalo that chased him?

3. How many miles of mail service does the owner of the Division Superintendent oversee?

4. How long does it take the narrator to pack his bags to accompany his brother on the trip?

5. Where are the vigilantes from that hang Slade?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the Great American Desert like, and what is interesting about Carson Lake?

2. Why does the story of Hank Monk and Horace Greeley irritate the narrator so much?

3. What leads the narrator and his party to Esmeralda?

4. What is the experience the narrator has in buying a horse in Carson City?

5. How does the narrator begin his journey in Chapter I?

6. What is the weather like in Unionville and what does the narrator find there?

7. What are the details of the court case between Hyde and Morgan, and what is the outcome?

8. How does the narrator describe the Goshoot Indians?

9. What are Twain's views about the amount of information in the book, as he states in the Prefatory?

10. How long is the Prefatory in Roughing It, and what is its purpose?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe Higbie's character in detail, including his background and main attributes. Also, analyze the decisions made by both the narrator and Higbie to abandon their blind lead claim. What is the major difference in the two decisions and how does it define each character? Provide examples from the book to explain the possible reasons for why the author chooses to include Higbie in the book's dedication instead of some of the other characters he meets during his journey, such as Captain John Nye.

Essay Topic 2

The beginning of the narrator's trip is a preview of the events that lie ahead for him as well as the overall tone of the book.

1) Describe the events that cause the narrator to travel to the West, including the anticipated length of the trip.

2) Explain the limitations of space and amenities on the mail coach that the narrator rides on and how that parallels one of the story's themes.

3) Describe some of the ironic situations or setbacks that the narrator encounters in the initial chapters and how they establish the author's tone in the book.

Essay Topic 3

Describe Mark Twain's objectives of writing Roughing It. Use the information in the Prefatory to explain his reasons for chronicling his adventures and the style he intends to use in the book. Then, provide examples that display how Twain accomplishes his objectives on multiple levels.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,112 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample