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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What did Harris catch Virgil stealing previously?

2. Whom does Poe tell Lee is responsible for the murder in Book Two?

3. How many of his full-time officers is Harris facing laying off due to budget shortages in Book Two?

4. Where did Lee attend college?

5. How much money has Issac stolen from his father in Book One?

Short Essay Questions

1. What symbolism surrounds the murder that occurs in Book One of American Rust?

2. Where does Isaac encounter the teenage thugs in Book Two? What happens when he encounters them?

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

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

5. How does the theme of fatalism apply to Grace and Billy Poe in Book One?

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

7. Where do Isaac and Poe encounter the three drifters in Book One? Who are the drifters and how are they described?

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

9. What internal conflicts does Poe face in the beginning of Book Two?

10. What importance does the setting of American Rust play in the story?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe and discuss the major conflicts in American Rust. What is the central conflict of the novel? What are the internal conflicts faced by the main characters? What conflicts arise between the protagonists?

Essay Topic 2

Describe and discuss the events surrounding the murder that Isaac commits. Where does the murder take place? What events lead up to the murder? Do you think that Isaac is justified in committing the murder? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the opinions of Buell's townspeople following Poe's arrest. What gossip has emerged within the town? What gossip emerges regarding Harris's involvement in the case? What are the repercussions of this gossip?

(see the answer keys)

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