CHAPTER 17 Practice Quiz — The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
by Mark Twain — tap or click to flip
Practice Quiz: CHAPTER 17
What alias does Huck use when he arrives at the Grangerford home?
He calls himself George Jackson and claims he fell overboard from a steamboat.
Why do the Grangerfords initially confront Huck with guns?
They suspect he might be connected to the Shepherdson family, their bitter rivals in an ongoing feud.
What backstory does Huck invent for the Grangerfords?
He says he is an orphan from Arkansas whose sister Mary Ann ran off, whose brothers Bill, Tom, and Mort died or disappeared, and whose father died from troubles, leaving him alone.
How does Huck recover his fake name after forgetting it the next morning?
He tricks Buck into spelling it by challenging him with "I bet you can't spell my name," and Buck spells out G-o-r-g-e J-a-x-o-n.
Who is Buck Grangerford?
Buck is the youngest Grangerford son, about thirteen or fourteen years old — roughly Huck's age. He lends Huck dry clothes and becomes his companion.
What food is Huck given when he arrives at the Grangerford home?
Cold corn-pone, cold corn-beef, butter, and buttermilk.
Who is Colonel Saul Grangerford?
He is the patriarch of the Grangerford family — described as gray and about sixty years old. He interrogates Huck and searches him for weapons before welcoming him.
Who is Rachel Grangerford?
She is the "sweetest old gray-headed lady" and wife of Colonel Saul. She is the one who reminds the family that Huck is wet and hungry and needs care.
Who is Emmeline Grangerford?
She is the deceased teenage daughter of the Grangerford family, known for her morbid crayon drawings and sentimental poetry about death.
What is notable about Buck's personality when Huck first meets him?
He is talkative, energetic, and eager for adventure. He arrives dragging a gun, disappointed there are no Shepherdsons to fight, and immediately starts chattering about blue jays, rabbits, riddles, and dogs.
How does Twain satirize Southern aristocratic pretensions in Chapter 17?
Through Huck's naive admiration of the Grangerford parlor, which features gaudy crockery animals, fake fruit, an oil-cloth from Philadelphia, and an eclectic collection of books — all of which Twain presents as imitative rather than genuinely refined.
What does Emmeline Grangerford's preserved room symbolize?
It symbolizes the Southern romantic fixation on death and the past. The family keeps the room exactly as Emmeline left it, unable or unwilling to move on.
How does Twain use the Grangerford-Shepherdson feud to critique Southern society?
He shows that even children like Buck have been conditioned to see violence as normal and exciting, revealing how the Southern code of honor perpetuates a senseless cycle of bloodshed.
What literary technique does Twain use in Huck's descriptions of Emmeline's artwork?
Ironic understatement and deadpan narration. Huck reports the absurdity of Emmeline's six-armed painting and maudlin captions without recognizing them as ridiculous, allowing the humor to emerge on its own.
What is the "Ode to Stephen Dowling Bots, Dec'd" a parody of?
It parodies the excessively sentimental obituary poetry popular in the nineteenth century, particularly the work of Julia A. Moore, a real poet whose unintentionally comic verse Twain found hilarious.
What is ironic about Emmeline's unfinished painting of the woman on the bridge?
The woman has six arms because Emmeline could not decide which pair looked best and planned to scratch out the extras. The absurdity of a supposedly tragic scene with a "spidery" six-armed figure undermines its intended pathos.
How does Twain use the books on the Grangerford parlor table for satirical effect?
He juxtaposes a family Bible, Pilgrim's Progress, a sentimental poetry anthology, Henry Clay's political speeches, and a home medical guide — creating an absurd mix that exposes the family's undiscriminating cultural aspirations.
What titles does Emmeline give her crayon drawings?
"Shall I Never See Thee More Alas," "I Shall Never Hear Thy Sweet Chirrup More Alas," and "And Art Thou Gone Yes Thou Art Gone Alas."
According to the neighbors, who arrived first when someone died?
The doctor came first, then Emmeline with her tribute poem, then the undertaker. The undertaker only beat Emmeline once — when the dead person's name was Whistler, and she could not find a rhyme.
What notable feature does the Grangerford front door have?
A brass doorknob, which Huck considers remarkable because most country houses had only iron latches or wooden ones with buckskin strings.