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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. As the weapon carried by Bemis, what is the Allen revolver known for?

2. What does the narrator's party shoot at to start a fire?

3. Where does the narrator finally enjoy a great breakfast?

4. What is Unionville built around?

5. What is Hawaii called in the book?

Short Essay Questions

1. How do the members of the narrator's mining party get lost in Chapter XXXII, and what happens with their attempts to start a fire?

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

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

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

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

6. What causes the narrator to work for a Quartz mill and how does his employment there end?

7. What is the myth of the Pony Express Riders?

8. How does the narrator live past the cold night, and what is ironic about the crew's actions afterward?

9. How does the narrator help his brother in writing to the government for money?

10. Why is Slade feared and what happens between him and the narrator?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

One of the major lessons in Roughing It is the contradiction in the notion of becoming rich with little effort. This theme is returned to a number of different times throughout the book.

1) Explain what the goal of the narrator is in Nevada and why he believes it is possible.

2) Describe 3 ways that the narrator attempts to achieve his goal and the results of them.

3) Analyze the concept of becoming rich with little work, including what the author's message about it is in the book, and how the narrator's opinion of it changes.

Essay Topic 2

Humor and satire are used to depict the dire situation of the narrator and his crew as they are trapped in a snow storm.

1) Describe the actions of the narrator and his party as they prepare to face almost certain death after being lost in the snow.

2) What is the irony about the location of their camp and their actions once they are saved?

3) How does the author use humor in the situation and what is the satirical point he is making with it?

Essay Topic 3

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.

(see the answer keys)

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