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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 does Poe do to his car when he gets home in Book Two?

2. What do the teenage boys say after they've beaten up Isaac in Book Two?

3. Whom does Isaac kill at the car factory?

4. Who among the drifters at the car factory is described as a smaller Mexican man?

5. What does Harris warn Poe to do when he releases him from jail in Book Two?

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

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

4. How is Billy Poe's introduction to the Fayette Prison described in Book Two?

5. What takes place in Grace Poe's narrative in Book Two?

6. What is revealed through the encounter between Harris and Poe while Poe is in a holding cell in Book Two?

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

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

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

10. Where does Isaac plan to travel in Book One? Why?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss Henry English's circumstances in the novel. How did Henry become injured? What are the extent of his injuries? What leads Henry to kill himself at the end of the narrative?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the theme of secrets in American Rust. What are some of the principle secrets that are revealed in the course of the narrative? How is this theme developed through character? How is it developed through setting, symbolism, and imagery?

Essay Topic 3

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?

(see the answer keys)

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