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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What does Isaac realize he left at the murder scene in Book One?
(a) His wallet.
(b) His jacket.
(c) His backpack.
(d) His watch.

2. What does Poe take with him when he goes into the woods from his house in Book Two?
(a) His old dog.
(b) A rifle.
(c) A knife.
(d) A handgun.

3. How did Isaac try to kill himself?
(a) By overdose.
(b) By gas inhalation.
(c) By hanging.
(d) By drowning.

4. How is Isaac's physicality described in the narrative?
(a) Tall and fat.
(b) Small and wispy.
(c) Short and fat.
(d) Tall and muscular.

5. What is the name of Poe's mother?
(a) Mary.
(b) Lee.
(c) Sarah.
(d) Grace.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is the name of Poe's father?

2. Where does Lee now live with her husband in Book One?

3. What evidence does Harris find and hide at the crime scene in Book One?

4. How does Isaac make his way out of town when he first disappears in Book Two?

5. How is Poe's physique described in Book One?

Short Essay Questions

1. How is Isaac English described when his character is introduced in Book One? What are Isaac's circumstances in the beginning of the novel?

2. What political struggles and conflicts plague Bud Harris in Book Two?

3. How does the murder in Book One influence the characters of Isaac and Poe?

4. The theme of fatalism plays a large part in American Rust. How does fatalism apply to the murder of Otto?

5. How does the theme of fatalism apply to Henry and Lee English in the novel?

6. Describe the character of Bud Harris in the narrative. What is revealed about Harris's inner thoughts in Book Two?

7. How would you describe the atmosphere of the setting and characters in Book One?

8. What secrets are revealed in Book Two? How do these secrets serve the plot?

9. What happens when Billy Poe is officially arrested for murder in Book Two?

10. How is the character of Billy Poe described in Book One? What are his circumstances in the beginning of the novel?

(see the answer keys)

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