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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. In what town has Isaac grown up?

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

3. How old is Poe in Book One?

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

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

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. The theme of fatalism plays a large part in American Rust. How does fatalism apply to the murder of Otto?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the relationship between Isaac and Poe in American Rust. How do these characters know one another? How would you define their relationship? How does this relationship evolve in the course of the story? How are Isaac and Poe alike? How are they different?

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 analyze the character of Poe in American Rust. How is Poe's background described? Where is Poe living when his character is introduced? How does Poe's character evolve in the story? Where is Poe in the end of the novel?

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This section contains 905 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample