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

2. What does Isaac use to commit the murder in Book One?

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

4. Where is Poe taken by van to a prison after he's been booked in Book Two?

5. What does Grace do for a living?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens when Harris confronts Poe in the woods in Book Two?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Describe and discuss Poe's experiences and thoughts while in solitary confinement. What internal conflict plagues Poe during this time? How does he consider his circumstances? What resolution does Poe reach?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the author's use of irony in American Rust. What are examples of situational irony in the narrative? What are examples of verbal and dramatic irony? What purpose does irony serve in each context?

(see the answer keys)

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