CHAPTER 24 Practice Quiz — The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
by Mark Twain — tap or click to flip
Practice Quiz: CHAPTER 24
How does the duke solve the problem of Jim being tied up all day?
He dresses Jim in a King Lear costume and paints his face solid blue, then posts a sign reading "Sick Arab—but harmless when not out of his head."
What does Jim's "Sick Arab" disguise consist of?
A long curtain-calico gown, a white horsehair wig and whiskers, and solid blue theatre-paint covering his face, hands, ears, and neck.
What is Jim told to do if anyone comes near the raft?
He is told to hop out of the wigwam, carry on, and howl like a wild beast to scare them away.
How does the king's appearance change when he puts on store-bought clothes?
He transforms from looking like "the orneriest old rip that ever was" to looking "grand and good and pious" as though he "had walked right out of the ark."
What false name does the king give the young stranger?
Reverend Elexander Blodgett.
Who is Peter Wilks?
A well-off tanner in a small river town who has just died, leaving a fortune and three orphaned nieces.
Name Peter Wilks's three surviving brothers.
Harvey (a minister in Sheffield, England), William (deaf and mute), and George (already deceased, a carpenter).
What are the names and ages of George Wilks's three daughters?
Mary Jane (nineteen), Susan (fifteen), and Joanna (about fourteen, described as having a hare-lip and giving herself to good works).
How much money did Peter Wilks reportedly leave hidden?
Three or four thousand dollars in cash.
What was Peter Wilks's occupation?
He was a tanner.
Where does the young stranger say he is going after New Orleans?
He is sailing on a ship to Rio de Janeiro ("Ryo Janeero") to visit his uncle.
Name at least three of Peter Wilks's friends mentioned by the young man.
Hobson the Baptist preacher, Deacon Lot Hovey, Ben Rucker, Abner Shackleford, Levi Bell the lawyer, Dr. Robinson, and the widow Bartley.
Which Wilks brother does the duke impersonate, and what characteristic must he fake?
He impersonates William, who is deaf and mute. The duke says he once played a deaf-and-dumb person "on the histrionic boards."
Why does the king insist on arriving by steamboat instead of canoe?
Because Harvey Wilks would have traveled from England and would logically arrive from a major city by steamboat, not by canoe.
How does the king react when the townspeople tell him Peter Wilks has died?
He collapses against a man, puts his chin on the man's shoulder, cries down his back, and wails, "Alas, alas, our poor brother—gone, and we never got to see him."
What does the duke do when the king begins his performance of grief?
He drops a carpet-bag and bursts out crying while the king makes "idiotic signs" to him on his hands, pretending to communicate with the "deaf" William.
What is Huck's reaction to the king and duke's performance of grief?
He says, "It was enough to make a body ashamed of the human race."
What does the phrase "raft vs. shore" represent as a motif in Chapter 24?
The raft represents freedom and genuine human connection, while the shore brings fraud, exploitation, and moral corruption.
What type of dramatic irony is present throughout Chapter 24?
The reader and Huck know the king and duke are frauds, while the young stranger and the townspeople believe their performances are genuine.
What name does the king call Huck in front of the young stranger?
Adolphus, referring to Huck as his servant.
Why does Huck lose his steamboat ride?
The king never says anything about going aboard when they reach the steamboat; he only uses the stop to gather information from the young man.
What previous con do the duke and king consider repeating before settling on the Wilks scheme?
They consider running the Royal Nonesuch again but decide it would not be safe because news of their earlier performance might have spread.
How do the townspeople react when the king and duke arrive claiming to be the Wilks brothers?
They gather around sympathetically, say kind things, carry their carpet-bags up the hill, let them lean on them while crying, and tell them about Peter's last moments.