View a FREE sample

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

Short Answer Questions

1. Where does Isaac go to sleep after going to the murder scene in Book Two?

2. Of what crime does Harris know his friend on the city council that is being investigated to be guilty?

3. What does Grace do for a living?

4. How does Lee describe her marriage in Book One?

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

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the murder in Book One. What leads up to the murder?

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

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

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

5. In Book Two, the language surrounding Isaac's narrative begins to transition. What purpose does this transition serve?

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

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

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

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

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?

Essay Topic 3

Describe and discuss Isaac's journey in the narrative. Where does Isaac travel to and how does he get there? Whom does Isaac meet along his journey? How does Isaac's journey change him as a character?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 946 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample