CHAPTER 22 Practice Quiz — The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
by Mark Twain — tap or click to flip
Practice Quiz: CHAPTER 22
Who does the mob plan to lynch at the beginning of Chapter 22?
Colonel Sherburn, who shot and killed the town drunk Boggs in the previous chapter.
How does Sherburn confront the mob?
He steps onto the roof of his front porch with a double-barrel gun, stands calmly and silently, and stares the mob down before delivering a speech.
What does Sherburn call the average man?
A coward.
According to Sherburn, why do juries acquit murderers?
Because jurors are afraid the murderer's friends will shoot them in the back in the dark.
Who is Buck Harkness?
The man who led the mob to Sherburn's house. Sherburn calls him a "half-a-man" and the only reason the mob formed.
What does Sherburn say a mob without a leader is?
"Beneath pitifulness."
How does Sherburn contrast the North and the South?
He says Northern men let anyone walk over them and pray for humility, while Southern men commit robberies in broad daylight but lynch at night with masks.
How does Huck get into the circus?
He sneaks in by waiting until the watchman passes and then diving under the tent.
What does the "drunk" man at the circus turn out to be?
A skilled circus performer who planned the entire act himself, revealed when he stands upright on the galloping horse and strips off seventeen suits to show a dazzling costume.
How does Huck feel after learning the drunk rider was an act?
He feels "sheepish" for being taken in and pities the ring-master for being fooled.
How many people attend the duke's Shakespeare performance?
About twelve—just enough to pay expenses.
What does the duke call the townspeople after the failed Shakespeare show?
"Arkansaw lunkheads" who can't appreciate Shakespeare.
What is the name of the duke's replacement show?
"The King's Camelopard, or The Royal Nonesuch."
What line on the handbill does the duke expect will draw a crowd?
"LADIES AND CHILDREN NOT ADMITTED."
What literary device does Twain use by having a murderer deliver the novel's most insightful speech on human nature?
Irony—Sherburn's profound moral observations come from a man who just committed cold-blooded murder.
What theme does the circus scene and the Royal Nonesuch both illustrate?
Deception and gullibility—both scenes show audiences being manipulated, though the circus deception is harmless entertainment while the Royal Nonesuch is a deliberate con.
What does the mob's reaction to Sherburn's speech reveal about Twain's view of crowd behavior?
It reveals Twain's belief that mobs are made up of cowards who borrow courage from their numbers and collapse when confronted by a single determined individual.
How many suits does the circus performer shed during his act?
Seventeen suits.
What admission price does the duke set for the Royal Nonesuch?
Fifty cents.
What parallel exists between Sherburn dispersing the mob and the duke's marketing strategy?
Both involve understanding and manipulating human psychology—Sherburn exploits the mob's cowardice to disperse them, while the duke exploits curiosity and forbidden-fruit psychology to attract an audience.