Mark Twain Trivia

1. As the story begins, Tom and Huck have become minor celebrities in Hannibal, MO, with Tom Sawyer being particularly celebrated and known as "The Traveler". What was the role in town of Nat Parsons, previously known for his traveling?

From Quiz When Tom Sawyer Grew Up

Answer: He was a postmaster.

Huck describes the effect of this praise on Tom as making him "just swelled ...up fit to bust". Tom's popularity seems to particularly irritate Nat Parsons, who for over thirty years had been considered the town's "traveller". As postmaster, Nat once had to return an undeliverable letter from Missouri to Washington, DC. Huck determines that Nat has the advantage of "Longitude" (East-West travel) but Tom, who has traveled up and down the Mississippi River, has the advantage of "Latitude" (North-South travel). Nat, for his part, is jealous of Tom's popularity and attempts to counter it by retelling his story, but unfortunately he has already told his story so many times that it no longer holds wonder for the people of Hannibal. Nat's journey involved almost eight weeks of travel to return a single letter. Was this really a good use of his time?

From Quiz "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn's" Extras

Answer: Huck recognizes Pap's footprints in the snow

Pap had two nails in the heel of his shoe, bent into a cross to ward off The Devil. This was a giveaway that Pap had come looking for Huck, undoubtedly to get his hands on Huck's share of the treasure that Huck and Tom found. Huck responds by selling his whole fortune to Judge Thatcher for a dollar in order to keep it away from Pap.

From Quiz A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur's Court

Answer: Oliver Cromwell's troops ransacking the castle during the English Civil War

"Wit ye well, I saw it done..." whispers Hank. "I did it myself!" Twain here, of course, is poking gentle fun at historical researchers and the fanciful theories they come up with for the origins of artefacts based on scant evidence. In fairness to them, however, Cromwell was responsible for an incredible amount of vandalism against anything with links to the monarchy during his short time in power in the mid 17th century. Warwick Castle is one of the most visited attractions in England, partly no doubt because it's very close to Stratford-upon-Avon. It is very impressive, but the admission charges are eye-watering. I recommend that budget travellers view the exterior then go to see Kenilworth Castle a few miles away; it is less well preserved, but arguably more atmospheric.

From Quiz Huckleberry Finn the Word Wizard

Answer: make him pay

Pungle seems to come from the Spanish 'pongale' meaning to put it down. Used as a transitive verb, it is usually accompanied by the word 'up'. Huck's father uses it when he talks about trying to get Huck's money from the judge, who is looking after it.

From Quiz Huck and the Grangerfords

Answer: He had to dive off the raft to avoid a steamboat

Jim, a runaway slave and Huck's friend, also jumped off the raft, but was not seen again for a while.

From Quiz The War Prayer

Answer: They were silent out of concern for their own safety

Specifically, according to Twain, "...the half dozen rash spirits that ventured to disapprove of the war and cast a doubt upon its righteousness straightway got such a stern and angry warning that for their personal safety's sake they quickly shrank out of sight and offended no more in that way."

From Quiz The Prince and the Pauper

Answer: England

The whole story takes place in the birth country of both Tom and Edward, England.

From Quiz 'The Story of the Bad Little Boy' by Mark Twain

Answer: Jim

In the story Twain wrote 'if you will notice, you will find that bad little boys are nearly always called James...It was strange, but still it is true, that this one was called Jim.'

From Quiz How Well Do You Know "Huckleberry Finn"?

Answer: Widow Douglas

Huck was considered orphaned, and Widow Douglas "took him in." She lived strongly by her religion and expected Huck to live that way, also.

From Quiz The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County

Answer: Simon Wheeler

The narrator describes how a friend of the old man (Simon Wheeler) told him to inquire about Leonidas W. Smiley because his friend knew that the old man would talk about Jim Smiley.

From Quiz The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Answer: Magic hair ball

Jim had a huge hairball that was pulled from a cow's stomach. He believed that an imp lived inside the hairball and could tell the future. After payment of one counterfeit quarter, Jim gave Huck a very ambivalent answer. Some hairball!

From Quiz The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Answer: David and Goliath

Although Tom was not a stellar Scripture student, he traded with other boys and girls to collect enough tickets, which were given out on the memorization of Bible passages, to be rewarded with a Bible of his own. When pressed to recite a line or two, he couldn't think of a thing to say.

From Quiz Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn

Answer: Sid

"Tom's younger brother, (or rather, half-brother) Sid, was already through with his part of the work (picking up chips), for he was a quiet boy and had no adventurous, troublesome ways." I had always thought he was a full brother to Tom.

From Quiz The Diaries Of Adam And Eve

Answer: Niagara Falls Park

Her constant naming of animals and places is one of the things about Eve that bugs Adam.

From Quiz Mark Twain's 'Puddn'head Wilson'

Answer: No & N

The story is set before 1865 because slavery is still going on, and it was not abolished by the Thirteenth Amendment until 1865.

From Quiz A Murder, A Mystery, and A Marriage

Answer: 1876

The same year Twain published 'Tom Sawyer'.

From Quiz ' The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn'

Answer: 1885

"Tom Sawyer" was published in 1876, "The Prince And The Pauper, in 1882, and "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court", in 1889. Mark Twain actually started writing "Huck Finn" in 1876, soon after "Tom Sawyer", but it took him over seven years to finally finish it. "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" was first published on Feb. 18, 1885. This information comes from Wikipedia, Books published in 1885 found at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1885_in_literature.

From Quiz Mark Twain's Pudd'nhead Wilson

Answer: David

David Wilson got the nickname 'Pudd'nhead' when he first moved to town.

From Quiz When Tom Sawyer Grew Up

Answer: Balloon

Tom seems to be worried, at least in part, that Nat Parsons will see it if he does not, giving him bragging rights. Tom, accompanied by Jim and Huck, travel to see the "noble big balloon [that] had wings and fans and all sorts of things, and wasn't like any balloon you see in pictures", which was located at a vacant lot on the outskirts of St. Louis. Oddly enough the area where the balloon's pilot was located is described as looking like a ship.

From Quiz "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn's" Extras

Answer: Widow Douglas

Judge Thatcher and the kindly Widow Douglas try to retain custody of Huck, although the idealistic new judge in town believes that Pap's fatherly rights outweigh their interest. This despite the fact that Pap is a brutal, alcoholic reprobate whose only interest in Huck is to take his money. The new judge foolishly offers to take Pap into his home in an attempt at reforming him - an attempt that does not succeed.

From Quiz A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur's Court

Answer: Malory's "Morte D'Arthur"

Twain was doing two things here. Firstly, he was attacking all romanticised tales of chivalry and medieval history for the effect they could have on people who believed them to be real. Twain hated this genre of literature intensely and particularly had it in for Sir Walter Scott, who he attacked several times in his work "Life on the Mississippi" for the debilitating effect he had on the American South: "Then comes Sir Walter Scott with his enchantments, and by his single might checks this wave of progress, and even turns it back; sets the world in love with dreams and phantoms; [...] with decayed and degraded systems of government; with the sillinesses and emptiness [...] He did measureless harm; more real and lasting harm, perhaps, than any other individual that ever wrote." Quite. The other answer choices also use tales of chivalry for satirical purposes or to make a political point. Malory was apparently serious. Secondly, Twain was obsessed with contrasting the grand high-faluting language of these tales with the very earthy and/or crude language he claimed people - even great kings and nobles - used in real life. His ultimate example of this is his very, very rude piece "1601: Conversation as it was by the Social Fireside, in the Time of the Tudors", so controversial that he originally had it published anonymously. In "Connecticut Yankee", though, he uses Hank to have yet another go at poor Scott: "Suppose Sir Walter, instead of putting the conversations into the mouths of his characters, had allowed the characters to speak for themselves? We should have had talk from Rebecca and Ivanhoe and the soft lady Rowena which would embarrass a tramp in our day."

From Quiz Huckleberry Finn the Word Wizard

Answer: He got drunk

Forty-rod is described as whisky, powerful enough to throw a man forty rods. Never one to refuse a drink, it doesn't take Huck's father long to get back to his old ways. The evening's drink is so intoxicating that he rolls off the porch, breaks his arm in two places, and makes such a mess of his room they have to "take soundings before they could navigate it."

From Quiz Huck and the Grangerfords

Answer: The Shepherdsons

This feud started over thirty years ago. No one really even remembers why it was started.

From Quiz The War Prayer

Answer: "God the all-terrible! Thou who ordainest! Thunder thy clarion and lightning thy sword!" --from a hymn by Henry F. Chorley

This text is used to introduce a passionate supplication for success in battle, climaxing with "Bless our arms, grant us the victory, O Lord our God, Father and Protector of our land and flag!" To be fair to Mr. Chorley, his hymn goes on to a less belligerent tone: "God, the All-merciful, earth hath forsaken Thy ways all holy and slighted Thy Word; Let not Thy wrath in its terror awaken; Give to us pardon and peace, O Lord. So shall Thy people, with thankful devotion, Praise Him who saved them from peril and sword, Singing in chorus, from ocean to ocean, Peace to the nations and praise to the Lord."

From Quiz The Prince and the Pauper

Answer: Autumn

"One autumn day in the 1500s, two babies were born. Both were boys, both had the same birthday,..."

From Quiz 'The Story of the Bad Little Boy' by Mark Twain

Answer: Sunday School

The story does not mention the bad little boy being involved in Boy Scouts, Sunday School, Little League Baseball, or Choir, but if he was I'm sure he would have found ways to be troublesome.

From Quiz How Well Do You Know "Huckleberry Finn"?

Answer: monthly drinking day

Boggs wasn't supposed to go into town until 1:00 one afternoon. When he went a few minutes before one, Colonel Sherburn shot him.

From Quiz The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County

Answer: Betting

Jim Smiley would bet on everything from a horse race to which bird on a fence would fly away first.

From Quiz The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Answer: He heard Huck had money and he wanted to get his hands on it

Pap, the town drunk, had left town and rambled about without a care as to the well-being of his only son. He returned to get the money Huck and Tom Sawyer found in the cave (in "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer").

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Last Updated Nov 16 2024 5:46 AM

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