The Reivers MCQs

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Author: Nasir Iqbal | Assistant Professor of English Literature


Updated on: November 16, 2025
Estimated Reading Time: 17 min

The Reivers MCQs

1. What was Lucius Priest’s weekly payment for his Saturday work at the livery stable?

A. One dollar
B. Ten cents
C. Five coins
D. Two stacks

B. Ten cents.
Lucius earned ten cents for making the rounds collecting freight bills and waiting at the stable office.

2. What animal was Boon Hogganbeck threatening to shoot when he jumped into the office?

A. The horse
B. A mule
C. Ludus
D. John Powell

C. Ludus.
Boon wanted the livery-stable pistol because he intended to shoot Ludus, who was already running away.

3. What was John Powell’s personal pistol considered a symbol of, according to him?

A. Manhood proof
B. Hard work
C. Gun ownership
D. Family heritage

A. Manhood proof.
John Powell considered the .41 caliber snub-nosed revolver the living symbol and ineffaceable proof of his manhood.

4. Why did Boon Hogganbeck want to shoot Ludus?

A. Stole money
B. Horse abuse
C. Ludus insulted
D. Drunkard behavior

C. Ludus insulted.
Ludus had publicly insulted Boon by saying he was “narrow-headed,” which Boon found worse than “narrow-asted”.
5. How did Flem Snopes (mentioned as a banker in context) eventually leave town?

A. Prison release
B. Stolen funds
C. Murdered kin
D. Paid his debts

C. Murdered kin.
The text notes Flem Snopes was murdered ten or twelve years prior by a mad kinsman who sent him to the penitentiary.

6. Which historical Southern figure was Lucius Priest’s coachman, Ned, alleged to be descended from?

A. General Forrest
B. Thomas Sutpen
C. Lucius Quintus Carothers
D. Colonel Sartoris

C. Lucius Quintus Carothers.
Ned’s legend claimed his mother was the natural daughter of old Lucius Quintus Carothers and a Negro slave.

7. Who was the Harvard-educated lawyer dedicated to civic improvement who confronted Montgomery Ward Snopes?

A. John Powell
B. Lawyer Stevens
C. Hub Hampton
D. Will Varner

B. Lawyer Stevens.
Lawyer Stevens led the charge into Montgomery Ward Snopes’s studio, dedicated to civic and moral advancement.

8. What was the make and model of the first automobile Lucius Priest’s grandfather purchased?

A. White Steamer
B. Ford racer
C. Winton Flyer
D. Maxwell Roadster

C. Winton Flyer.
Grandfather purchased a Winton Flyer first, before trading it for the White Steamer two years later.

9. What essential precaution did the grandfather take immediately after acquiring the Winton Flyer?

A. Stored immediately
B. Inspected fluids
C. Locked it up
D. Drove it fast

C. Locked it up.
Grandfather locked the Winton Flyer in the newly built garage, taking both the padlock key and the switch key.
10. What did Lucius Priest’s mother use to protect herself and the children from Grandfather’s spitting while driving?

A. New duster
B. Large fan shield
C. Heavy veil
D. Leather cap

B. Large fan shield.
Mother invented a light shield on a handle, like a big fan, to raise quickly whenever Grandfather spit.

11. Where did Lucius Priest’s other grandfather (Lessep) die, prompting the trip?

A. Jackson, Mississippi
B. New Orleans
C. Bay St. Louis
D. Memphis, Tennessee

C. Bay St. Louis.
The narrator specifies that Grandfather Lessep died in Bay St. Louis, which was three hundred miles away.

12. What was Boon Hogganbeck’s intent in inviting Lucius to join the journey?

A. Financial help
B. Companion only
C. A kind of hostage
D. Mechanical skills

C. A kind of hostage.
Boon sought Lucius as a kind of hostage, lending legitimacy to the trip and ensuring he wouldn’t face Grandfather alone.

13. What did Lucius and Boon decide to use Mr. Buffaloe’s vacant field for before leaving town?

A. A new road
B. Hide the car
C. Driving practice
D. Sleep overnight

C. Driving practice.
Boon took Lucius to Mr. Buffaloe’s motordrome (vacant field) to teach him how to operate the automobile.

14. What final action did Lucius take concerning the car before leaving Jefferson?

A. Checked gasoline
B. Washed the car
C. Locked the door
D. Called the stable

C. Locked the door.
Lucius insisted on closing and locking the carriage house padlock so it would look like the car was safely inside.
15. Where was Ned hiding during the initial leg of the trip to Memphis?

A. Under the back seat
B. Trunk space
C. Under tarpaulin
D. Behind the fence

C. Under tarpaulin.
Ned sat up from the floor of the back seat after Boon flung back the lumped and jumbled mass of the tarpaulin.

16. What was Ned carrying in his small, battered hand grip (attaché case)?

A. Whiskey and Bible
B. Money and food
C. Maps and tools
D. Clean clothes

A. Whiskey and Bible.
Ned carried a Bible (which he couldn’t read) and a pint flask containing a double tablespoonful of whiskey.

17. What caused Ned to emerge from his hiding spot under the tarpaulin?

A. Being cramped
B. Sudden stop
C. Strong odors
D. Bouncing/jolting

D. Bouncing/jolting.
Ned complained about holding off a churn from knocking his brains out every time the car bounced and jolted.

18. What was the name of the woman who ran the establishment at Ballenbaugh’s Ferry?

A. Miss Ballenbaugh
B. Miss Corrie
C. Miss Reba
D. Alice Ephum

A. Miss Ballenbaugh.
Ballenbaugh’s was run by a fifty-year-old maiden, Miss Ballenbaugh, who farmed and ran a small store.

19. What was the nickname given to the mud-farming location that was the biggest obstacle on the road?

A. Iron Bridge
B. Wyott’s Crossing
C. Hell Creek bottom
D. Hurricane Creek

C. Hell Creek bottom.
Boon violently referred to the wide valley before the cypress and willow band as Hell Creek bottom.
20. What items did the “mudhole farmer” have conveniently ready near the stuck travelers?

A. Plow and mules
B. Log chain
C. Shovel and axe
D. All of them

D. All of them.
The farmer had a plow, geared-up mules, and a log chain hooked to the doubletree, ready to pull out stuck vehicles.

21. What was the flat rate the mudhole man charged for pulling out a vehicle?

A. Two dollars
B. Four dollars
C. Five dollars
D. Six dollars

A. Two dollars.
Ned mentioned the man charging two dollars a mudhole, but the final cost ended up being six dollars.

22. How did Boon eventually characterize the emergency mud-defying gear they brought along?

A. Useless weight
B. In-glorious brag
C. Necessary burden
D. Grandfather’s whim

B. In-glorious brag.
The emergency gear was called an in-glorious brag because it failed to help them conquer Hell Creek unaided.

23. What was the name of the hotel that Miss Reba’s boarding house was formerly known as?

A. Holston House
B. Snopes Hotel
C. Commercial Hotel
D. Gaston Hotel

C. Commercial Hotel.
Miss Reba’s establishment was previously the Snopes Hotel, but before that, it was the Commercial Hotel.

24. What was the visible feature that made Minnie, the maid, memorable?

A. Tall stature
B. Gold front tooth
C. Scarred face
D. Uniform dress

B. Gold front tooth.
Minnie had a beautiful set of teeth, but the middle right-hand upper one was strikingly gold.
25. What was Mr. Binford’s official title in Miss Reba’s house?

A. The lover
B. The financier
C. The landlord
D. The manager

C. The landlord.
Mr. Binford was the “lone male” who maintained order and paid taxes, designated as the landlord.

26. Why did Ned believe he could recover the stolen automobile by winning the race?

A. The horse was fast
B. The thief was honest
C. The car was embarrassing
D. Thief hated racing

C. The car was embarrassing.
Ned argued that the stolen automobile would be an embarrassment to the thief to try to sell quickly and privately.

27. What was the name Ned gave the stolen racehorse?

A. Akron
B. Coppermine
C. Lightning
D. Manassas

C. Lightning.
Ned and Sam had already named the stolen racehorse Lightning shortly before loading him onto the train.

28. How did Ned eventually arrange for the horse to be transported to Parsham (Possum)?

A. By freight car
B. By truck
C. Driven slowly
D. On foot

A. By freight car.
Miss Corrie arranged for a boxcar through Sam Caldwell, the flagman, to transport the horse by train.

29. What was the name of Miss Corrie’s young, troublesome nephew?

A. Ludus
B. Sam Caldwell
C. Otis
D. Lycurgus

C. Otis.
Miss Corrie’s nephew, who came from Arkansas to Memphis for refinement, was Otis.
30. Why did Miss Corrie decide to send Otis back to Arkansas immediately?

A. He stole cash
B. He used a knife
C. He drank beer
D. He insulted Miss Reba

B. He used a knife.
Otis pulled a pocketknife on Lucius during a fight, leading Miss Corrie to send him home on the first train.

31. What information did Otis leak that Lucius was sworn not to tell?

A. Corrie’s theft
B. Corrie’s real name
C. Boon’s hiding spot
D. Tooth’s value

B. Corrie’s real name.
Otis told Lucius that Miss Corrie’s full name was Everbe Corinthia, which she paid him to keep secret.

32. What job did Miss Corrie intend to find to leave the prostitution business?

A. Teaching
B. Dish washing
C. Factory work
D. Seamstress

B. Dish washing.
Corrie told Boon she had quit and planned to get a job washing dishes or doing laundry.

33. What object did Otis steal from Minnie?

A. Gallon of gin
B. Cash register
C. Gold tooth
D. Poker winnings

C. Gold tooth.
Minnie’s detachable gold front tooth was stolen by Otis, who thought he could sell it.

34. Who did Ned rely on to handle the arrangements for the horse’s secure transport to Parsham?

A. Miss Reba
B. Sam Caldwell
C. Colonel Linscomb
D. Uncle Parsham

B. Sam Caldwell.
Ned said that if you need something done quickly and quietly, hunt someone like Mr. Sam Caldwell.
35. Why was Lucius going to ride the racehorse instead of Boon?

A. Boon was too heavy
B. Boon was in jail
C. Lucius was faster
D. Lucius was more skilled

A. Boon was too heavy.
Ned believed Lucius was light enough, but worried that Boon and Ned were too heavy to ride the horse.

36. What item of Lucius’s clothing did Everbe wash and iron for him in Parsham?

A. The riding-sock
B. His dirty pants
C. Outer shirt
D. His linen duster

A. The riding-sock.
Everbe washed and ironed Lucius’s underwear, stockings, blouse, and the special riding sock used for his cut hand.

37. How did Ned initially make the racehorse, Lightning, run faster during practice?

A. Use a switch
B. Scared him
C. Cut him hard
D. Set him free

C. Cut him hard.
Ned stepped back and cut the horse quickly and hard across the buttocks to make it leap into a full run.

38. What was the name of the boy who helped Ned and Lucius at Uncle Parsham’s place?

A. McWillie
B. Bobo Beauchamp
C. Lycurgus
D. Butch

C. Lycurgus.
Lycurgus, Uncle Parsham’s grandson, helped Lucius ride Lightning and carried Ned’s belongings.

39. Who was the corrupt, badge-wearing official who harassed the group in Parsham?

A. Mr. Poleymus
B. Butch Lovemaiden
C. Virgil, the clerk
D. Walter Clapp

B. Butch Lovemaiden.
The man who was loud, red-faced, and wore a badge, harassing Corrie and Boon, identified himself as Butch Lovemaiden.
40. What was Ned’s primary justification for losing the first heat of the race intentionally?

A. Saving energy
B. Saving the secret
C. Learn from mistakes
D. Higher betting odds

D. Higher betting odds.
Ned wanted to lose the first heat, so the odds would be better for the remaining two heats, which they had to win.

41. What did Ned secretly use to compel the racehorse to run quickly at the end of the race?

A. Whip lashes
B. Sugar lump
C. Sour dean
D. Electric shock

C. Sour dean.
Ned confessed to Lucius’s grandfather that the horse, like his mule, ran because he used a sour dean (sardine).

42. Why was Boon arrested and put in the woodshed jail in Parsham?

A. Horse theft
B. Running away
C. Whipping Butch
D. Disturbing the peace

C. Whipping Butch.
Boon assaulted Deputy Butch for calling Miss Corrie a whore, leading to his arrest by Constable Poleymus.

43. Who eventually secured the release of Boon and Miss Reba from the jail at Hardwick?

A. Lucius’s grandfather
B. Colonel Linscomb
C. Ned McCaslin
D. Sam Caldwell

A. Lucius’s grandfather.
Lucius’s grandfather provided the bond or papers necessary to secure the release of Boon and Miss Reba from jail.

44. How did Lycurgus compel Otis to return the stolen gold tooth?

A. Used a whip
B. Used a mule
C. Used the hounds
D. Used a knife

B. Used a mule.
Lycurgus forced Otis onto a mule without a saddle or a bridle and cut the mule until Otis dropped the tooth.
45. What consequence did Everbe face immediately after Boon beat up Butch?

A. She was arrested
B. She was released
C. Butch hit her
D. She fled Parsham

C. Butch hit her.
After Boon fought Butch, Miss Reba said that Butch, angry at Boon, retaliated by hitting Everbe, giving her a black eye.

46. What kind of job did Everbe take in Parsham to reform her life?

A. Constable’s maid
B. Dishwasher
C. Bar dancer
D. Railroad cook

A. Constable’s maid.
Everbe reformed by taking a job in Parsham as the Constable’s housemaid, cooking and caring for his invalid wife.

47. What did Ned do with the gambling money he won by betting against Lightning on the last heat?

A. Paid Boon’s fines
B. Gave it to Lucius
C. Gave it to Uncle Parsham’s church
D. Bought a mule

C. Gave it to Uncle Parsham’s church.
Ned won the bet by putting money on Akron (the winning horse) and gave twenty dollars to Uncle Parsham for his church.

48. Why did Lucius refuse to accept the money Miss Reba offered him from her winnings?

A. Did not gamble
B. Wanted no reward
C. It was stolen
D. Wanted Ned to have it

B. Wanted no reward.
Lucius did not want the money because he realized his participation was about finishing the deed, not financial gain.

49. How long was the time span covered by Lucius’s trip away from Jefferson?

A. Five days
B. Three days
C. Four days
D. One week

C. Four days.
The narrator specifies that the events took place over four days, from Saturday afternoon to Wednesday.
50. What name did Boon and Everbe choose for their newborn son?

A. Lucius Priest
B. Maury Hogganbeck
C. Ned William
D. Everbe Corinthia

A. Lucius Priest.
Boon and Everbe named their son Lucius Priest Hogganbeck, honoring the narrator.

Brief Overview

The Reivers is a novel by William Faulkner, first published on June 4, 1962. It is a humorous picaresque about a young boy’s wild adventure with a stolen car. The story functions as a coming-of-age lesson in mischief, morality, and life outside a sheltered world.

The novel is narrated by Lucius, a boy who works for his grandfather at a stable in Mississippi. Boon Hogganbeck, a large, clumsy man who once missed a driver with five shots, also works there. Lucius’s grandfather, a wealthy banker, buys an expensive automobile and keeps it locked up.

When Lucius’s family leaves for a funeral, Boon steals the car. Lucius agrees to help Boon drive the car to Memphis. Ned, the family coachman, secretly hides in the back seat, wanting a trip too.

The trip is difficult. They get stuck in deep mud twice. A farmer forces them to pay money to pull them out with mules. In Memphis, Ned secretly trades the grandfather’s stolen automobile for a stolen racehorse named Lightning. Ned plans to win the car back in a race at Parsham, Tennessee, using a secret method.

At Parsham, Boon gets into a fight with a deputy and is arrested. Lucius rides the horse and wins the race. The grandfather arrives and learns the entire story. Ned admits he used a sour sardine to make the horse dash, a trick he also used on his mule years ago.

The race plan was meant to save a cousin named Bobo from trouble. Boon returns home after being released and plans to marry Miss Corrie. His grandfather teaches Lucius that a gentleman must take responsibility for his actions.

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