6th Grade Reading
ESSAY TEST - Tom Sawyer
Select one of the five essay questions below. Take a few minutes to brainstorm ideas
(on the back of this paper) and then write a complete essay in the time provided. Be
sure to include a short introduction and conclusion. Remember to supply specific
examples from the novel. Be sure to use examples from the beginning, middle, and
end of the novel! You may use the book and any notes or handouts as needed.
Staple your essay to the back of this handout and turn in at the end of the class
period.
1.
Compare and contrast Tom Sawyer and his good friend, Huck Finn.
2.
How has Tom Sawyer grown into a somewhat responsible young man? Discuss
what he was like in the beginning and how he changed by the end. Include the
events in his life that caused these changes.
3.
Discuss the central plot of Tom Sawyer and how Mark Twain adds humor
and pathos (sadness) to the boy’s life.
4.
Discuss the leadership of Tom in the novel. Was he a good leader? How
did he influence others? Use specific examples to support your points.
5.
Discuss how Mark Twain satirizes church, school, medicine, and the
townspeople. (Remember that to satirize means to ridicule, mock, and
deride.)