46 pages 1 hour read

Mark Twain

The Mysterious Stranger

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1916

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Essay Topics

1.

In Chapter 2, Satan tells the boys, “We [angels] cannot do wrong; neither have we any disposition to do it, for we do not know what it is” (12). Does this explain or justify any of Satan’s actions throughout the book? Why or why not?

2.

Satan is a name that will invoke a reaction among readers. Why do you think Twain chose this name for his angel? Do you think that this ties into the book’s sociopolitical critiques?

3.

Analyze the tone Satan uses while describing human suffering. What purpose does it serve?