Study Guide Questions
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Tom Sawyer Complete Study Guide Questions

  1. How did Tom get out of being switched? (Ch.1-4)
  2. How did Aunt Polly catch Tom for playing hookey? (Ch.1-4)
  3. Why does Tom live with his Aunt Polly? (Ch.1-4)
  4. What did Tom do to the new boy? (Ch.1-4)
  5. What was Tom’s Saturday job for punishment?  How did he escape doing it?  What did he do instead? (Ch.1-4)
  6. What was Tom’s reward for whitewashing the fence? (Ch.1-4)
  7. Why didn’t Aunt Polly belt Sid for breaking the sugar bowl? (Ch.1-4)
  8. What did a pupil get when he had ten yellow tickets? (Ch.1-4)
  9. How did Tom get his ten yellow tickets? (Ch.1-4)
  10. How was Tom’s deceitfulness revealed? (Ch.1-4)
  11. Why did Tom sit next to the aisle in church? (Ch.5-8)
  12. Why had Tom enjoyed this Saturday’s sermon? (Ch.5-8)
  13. Why did Tome sometimes wish there was no weekend? (Ch.5-8)
  14. Why was Tom the center of attention at school the next day? (Ch.5-8)
  15. How would you characterize (or describe) Huck Finn? (Ch.5-8)
  16. What are dead cats good for? (Ch.5-8)
  17. Next to whom did Tom have to sit in school, and what did his note to her say? (Ch.5-8)
  18. What did Joe and Tom play with during the school lesson? (Ch.5-8)
  19. What did Tom and Becky do at school during recess? (Ch.5-8)
  20. Why did Becky get mad at Tom? (Ch.5-8)
  21. What did Tom decide to be? (Ch.5-8)
  22. On what did Tom blame the unsuccessful marble spell? (Ch.5-8)
  23. Who are Injun Joe, Muff Potter, and Dr. Robinson?  What have they done? (Ch.9-12)
  24. Why do Huck and Tom decide to “keep mum” about the graveyard incident? (Ch.9-12)
  25. How did Aunt Polly know that Tom had gone out in the middle of the night? (Ch.9-12)
  26. Why did the school master let school out? (Ch.9-12)
  27. How did Tom try to keep from talking in his sleep? (Ch.9-12)
  28. Why did Tom bring things to Muff Potter in jail? (Ch.9-12)
  29. Why did the villagers not tar and feather Injun Joe? (Ch.9-12)
  30. What happened to Peter the cat? (Ch.9-12)
  31. Who joined Tom in his “life of crime”? (Ch. 13-16)
  32. Why was Huck suddenly disappointed about the state of his clothes? (Ch. 13-16)
  33. Why couldn’t Tom and Joe get to sleep very easily? (Ch. 13-16)
  34. How do the townspeople find drowned bodies in the river? (Ch. 13-16)
  35. Why do the boys suddenly feel like heroes? (Ch. 13-16)
  36. Where did Tom go that night? (Ch. 13-16)
  37. What were Mrs. Harper and Aunt Polly saying about the boys? (Ch. 13-16)
  38. What did Huck teach Tom and Joe to do?  What happened to them? (Ch. 13-16)
  39. How did Becky react to Tom’s “death”? (Ch. 17-22) 
  40. What was one “poor chap’s” claim to fame? (Ch. 17-22) 
  41. Where did the boys hide during the funeral sermon? (Ch. 17-22) 
  42. What did Aunt Polly do to Tom and Huck upon their return? (Ch. 17-22) 
  43. What was Tom’s “dream”? (Ch. 17-22) 
  44. What did Tom do to anger Becky?  Why? (Ch. 17-22)  .
  45. What did Alfred do to Tom’s spelling book? (Ch. 17-22) 
  46. Why was Aunt Polly angry with Tom? (Ch. 17-22) 
  47. How did Aunt Polly know Tom was telling the truth about the bark? (Ch. 17-22) 
  48. What made Becky tear the teacher’s book?  (Ch. 17-22) 
  49. What noble thing did Tom do? (Ch. 17-22) 
  50. What revenge do the kids get on Mr. Dobbins?  Why? (Ch. 17-22) 
  51. Who did Muff Potter’s lawyer call to the stand, and what did he tell the court? (Ch. 23-28) 
  52. What is the result of Tom’s confession? (Ch. 23-28) 
  53. Why are Tom’s nights so scary? (Ch. 23-28) 
  54. Where do Tom and Huck go treasure hunting and why? (Ch. 23-28) 
  55. Why do the boys stop treasure hunting and what do they do instead? (Ch. 23-28) 
  56. Who was the Spaniard and what is his plan? (Ch. 23-28) 
  57. Why does Tom think that maybe the adventure was a dream? (Ch. 23-28) 
  58. What plan do Tom and Huck come up with to find the real treasure? (Ch. 23-28) 
  59. How does Tom get into Number Two and what does he find inside? (Ch. 23-28) 
  60. What was Injun Joe’s “Revenge” and why did he want it? (Ch. 29-31) 
  61. Who saved the Widow Douglas?  How? (Ch. 29-31) 
  62. What ended the search for the two men who were near Widow Douglas’ house? (Ch. 29-31) 
  63. How did Tom and Becky get lost in the cave? (Ch. 29-31) 
  64. Why did Tom blow out Becky’s candle? (Ch. 29-31) 
  65. Who else was in the cave at the same time as Tom and Becky?  (Ch. 29-31) 
  66. How were Becky and Tom saved? (Ch. 32-35) 
  67. What happened to Injun Joe? (Ch. 32-35) 
  68. Where was the real “Number Two”? (Ch. 32-35) 
  69. How much money did Tom get every day? (Ch. 32-35) 
  70. How did Tom convince Huck to stay with the Widow Douglas? (Ch. 32-35) 

 

 

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