Chapter VIII: The Village Quiz — Walden Pond

What does Thoreau compare the village to?

• A great news room
• A beehive
• A prison
• A marketplace

To what animals does Thoreau compare the villagers?

• Prairie dogs
• Ants
• Sheep
• Beavers

What classical figure does Thoreau invoke to describe how he resists village temptations?

• Orpheus
• Odysseus
• Heracles
• Perseus

How does Thoreau navigate home through the dark woods at night?

• By feeling the path with his feet and touching familiar trees
• By following the sound of the pond
• By using a lantern
• By following the stars

Why was Thoreau arrested and jailed?

• He refused to pay a tax to a state that sanctioned slavery
• He trespassed on private land
• He disturbed the peace
• He refused to serve in the militia

What is the only item Thoreau reports losing from his unlocked cabin?

• A volume of Homer
• A journal
• A fishing rod
• A blanket

What metaphor does Thoreau use for his late-night return from the village?

• Sailing a ship to a snug harbor
• A soldier retreating from battle
• A bird returning to its nest
• A prisoner escaping confinement

True or False: Thoreau locked his cabin door every night before going to sleep.

True or False: Two young fishermen Thoreau directed home got lost and wandered most of the night near their own homes.

When Thoreau describes taking gossip in "homoeopathic doses," he means:

• In very small, diluted quantities
• In large, satisfying amounts
• In carefully measured portions
• In bitter, medicinal quantities

Thoreau compares idle villagers to "caryatides." A caryatid is:

• A sculpted female figure used as an architectural column
• A type of ancient Greek soldier
• A decorative garden statue
• A mythological creature

When Thoreau says he would "make an irruption into some houses," he means he would:

• Burst in suddenly and forcefully
• Knock politely and wait
• Sneak in through a back door
• Send a letter of introduction first