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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. What does Tom begin keeping on the desk in his office?
(a) A gun.
(b) A cross.
(c) A Bible.
(d) A rabbit's foot.

2. Why does the devil say that he has a right to cut wood on this land?
(a) He says that the owner sold it to him.
(b) He says that it belonged to him long before Europeans came to North America.
(c) He says that he owns the soul of its owner.
(d) He says that the entire earth belongs to him.

3. What does Tom's wife take with her when she goes into the swamp for the second time?
(a) Their horse.
(b) A rifle.
(c) All of their valuables.
(d) A Bible.

4. How does Tom seal his bargain with the devil?
(a) By cutting his thumb with the devil's knife.
(b) With a handshake.
(c) By signing a document.
(d) With a burnt offering.

5. What is one source of trouble in Tom Walker's marriage?
(a) Tom refuses to buy the luxuries his wife feels she deserves.
(b) Tom's wife often disappears into the forest overnight.
(c) Tom's wife hides resources from him and keeps them for herself.
(d) Tom is physically abusive toward his wife.

Short Answer Questions

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

2. What word does the narrator use twice to describe the situation of Tom's clients?

3. What is Tom's first mistake on his last day?

4. What is the first thing that Tom does in an attempt to escape his bargain with the devil?

5. Why does the narrator say that Tom starts criticizing his neighbors?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. Why is the death of Absolom Crowninshield announced as the death of a great man in Israel when he actually died in Massachusetts?

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

4. How does Tom ultimately slip up and get captured by the devil?

5. What do Tom and the devil negotiate about before striking a bargain, and what is the bargain they strike?

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

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

8. Explain how Tom develops into a religious hypocrite.

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

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

(see the answer keys)

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