Mark Twain's father died when Twain was only eleven years old and the loss of his father altered the course of Twain's life. How did Percy Driscoll's death alter the course of Tom's life? Do you think Tom would have been a different man if Percy Driscoll had lived?

Colonel Cecil Essex, descendant of the First Families of Virginia and an adherent to a gentleman's code of conduct, is revealed to be the father of Roxy's baby. How does this fit into the portrayal of Essex as a “gentleman”?

What is the function of the "Whisper to the Reader" that opens the novel? How does Twain signal to the reader his intentions for the novel by introducing both the failed lawyer, Hicks, and the corner where Dante used to watch Beatrice?