Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain -- Reading Checks – Chapter Fifteen
1. What can we assume Tom wrote on the note he left in Joe's hat at the end of
Chapter 14? if he isn’t back to the island by breakfast, they can have all his things
2. Name a piece of evidence the villagers use to conclude the boys had drowned. the small raft was missing; boys told that Tom and Huck told them they’d “hear something soon;” they never showed at the next town down the river; their bodies wouldn’t be found because they would have drowned mid-river.
3. Why does Tom not "capture" the rowboat he uses to get back to the island, even though he's tempted to? because he knows someone will notice that it is missing and that could lead to him and his fellow pirates being found.
4. Why does Aunt Polly scold Sid? because Sid says he hopes Tom is better off where he is, but if Tom had behaved, he’d be in a better place! (Sid insinuates that Tom is in hell).
5. What does Tom start to do, and then decide not to do? (Besides capturing the rowboat.)
He starts to leave a note for Aunt Polly, but then doesn’t leave it.

Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain -- Reading Checks – Chapters 16 – 20
1. The boys had two reasons to be thankful after the big storm. What were they?
1 – they were safe (their camp was destroyed but since they abandoned it, they were okay). 2 – they were able to start their fire back up again.
2. "Well, Tom Sawyer, he licked me once." (p 118b, 109w) Why did this person say this? Why was no one impressed?
A boy said this to impress the other children, but it didn’t work because most every other boy could say that, too.
Also note – Becky soliloquized about missing Tom and the andiron he gave her: this mean she is saying these things to herself.
3. Explain how Tom, Huck, and Joe crash their own funeral.
They paddled back over to the town, spent the night in the woods at the edge of town and then snuck into the church early that morning. They awoke and were able to watch the entire funeral.
4. Reread the last line of chapter 17. Explain. cuffs – Aunt Polly is hitting him for scaring her; kisses – Aunt Polly kisses him because she’s glad he’s back. This makes Tom confused – he’s unsure which one makes him more thankful to be home. In other words, he missed the hits and the kisses.
5. What was Tom’s great secret? Explain why it was important to him to do this. to return home. it was important because he likes to have all the attention, and he hasn’t had it for a while.
6. How did Aunt Polly find out the truth about Tom's "dream"? she went to tell Joe’s mom, Mrs. Harper, about it but Joe told them that Tom snuck over and witnessed that all in person.
7. Who is Alfred Temple? What does he do to Tom (secretly)? Why? Where have we seen him before?
He is the “new boy” that Tom beat up in CH 1. He pours ink onto the pages of
Tom’s spelling book.
8. Explain the title of Chapter 19 – The Cruelty of “I Didn’t Think.”
Tom didn’t think about lying about his dream. This causes Aunt Polly to look foolish in front of her friend and also hurts her feelings.

9. What was Mr. Dobbins' (the schoolmaster) secret ambition? to be a doctor
10. What kind of book did Becky rip? an anatomy book
11. Why does Tom say that Becky will get caught, even if he doesn't tell on her?
Quote from the text using parenthetical citation.
“[Dobbins will] ask first one and then t’other, and when he comes to the right girl he’ll know it, without any telling. Girls’ faces always tell on them” (134).
12. Why was Tom not at all upset about being whipped for the spelling book? he thought it was possible that he did spill the ink in it while he was messing around during school and just didn’t remember.
13. What was Tom's punishment for the teacher's ripped book? it was “the most merciless” whipping ever and he had to stay two hours after school
14. Predict what Tom will do to get back at Alfred Temple. answers will vary
Chapters 21-24
7. Draw a diagram of or explain in a paragraph the prank the boys pulled on the school master.
The schoolmaster, who has been nipping from his bottle of private reserve liquor, is a little unsteady on his feet, and as he tries to draw a map of the
United States, the audience begins to twitter. From above him in the attic, a cat is being slowly lowered through a trapdoor directly above his head. As soon as the cat can reach it, the cat snags the schoolmaster’s toupee, revealing his bald head, which had been gilded gold by the sign painter’s son and which shone like a star. (The teacher boards at the sign painter’s house and the son waited for him to nod off after drinking and then painted his head).
8. Name three of the things that came to town during the summer.
A senator comes. A circus comes and leaves the next day. A phrenologist and a mesmerizer come. A minstrel show comes.
9. Why was Tom disappointed in the U.S. senator who came to town? because he was not twenty five feet high

10. Why did Tom think the storm in Chapter 22 was intended for him? he was sick with the measles when a revival came to town, and everyone “got religion” but him – even Huck is quoting the Bible!
11. "Little hands, and weak--but they've helped Muff Potter a power, and they'd help him more if they could." (151). Who's talking? Explain how this is this ironic.
This is Muff talking. He is saying that he is thankful that Tom and Huck help him by bringing him things to the jail. This is ironic because the boys have the power to help him by freeing him from jail (by telling that they saw Joe kill the Doc) and they won’t do it.
12. After the trial, Tom's days were.... but Tom's nights were... Explain why this is.
His days were of splendor but his nights were horrific. This means that he loved the day time – everyone was paying attention to him since he testified at Muff’s trial. But at night he is terrified that Joe will come after him and get revenge.