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. What do the men decide should be listed when it comes to packing?

2. What is Harris's full name?

3. Who is the narrator of "Three Men in a Boat"?

4. What does "J." stand for?

5. What time do the men wake up on the day they start their journey?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does J. make fun of Harris's desire to look at old tombstone inscriptions?

2. What happened to Harris the first time he went into the hedge maze?

3. What happens with George and the butter as the group is packing?

4. What does J. note about what people remember about being seasick after they return from a trip?

5. Where do J. and Harris ultimately end up getting George?

6. What kind of allegory does J. talk about once the group fine tunes their philosophy about packing?

7. Who is Stivvings?

8. What does J. remark about the weather forecast as the group prepares to leave on their journey?

9. What does J. believe boaters can do to prevent tangles in the tow line?

10. Why do the men have such a hard time finding a train to take them to their boat?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

"Three Men in a Boat" has never gone out of print in its 120+ year history. Discuss at least three aspects of the novel that readers have identified with over the years. Will those aspects continue to connect with readers in the future? If so, how?

Essay Topic 2

In a well-written essay, discuss why the portrayal of the journey up the river in "Three Men in a Boat" is completely unrealistic and unbelievable for the average reader. Make sure to use direct evidence from the text to support your position.

Essay Topic 3

Compare and contrast one of the major characters (Harris, George, or Jerome) with himself at the beginning of "Three Men in a Boat" and himself at the conclusion of the novel.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 761 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample