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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. Where is Poe taken after he is booked and fingerprinted in Book Two?

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

3. What does Grace do for a living?

4. Whom does Grace consider sleeping with in order to get money for a lawyer for her son in Book Two?

5. Who comes to lock Poe up in the jail in the woods in Book Two?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the language style of the novel. How would you describe the author's approach to dialogue? In what ways does the language style of the novel reflect upon its characters and themes? What are some examples of literary devices used throughout the narrative?

Essay Topic 2

Describe the setting of Buell, Pennsylvania, and discuss how the setting of the novel reflects its themes. What is the economy like in Buell? What events have changed the economy? How have these changes impacted the residents of the community?

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)

This section contains 900 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample