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 Harris go to meet the justice of the peace in Book Three?

2. How far are Isaac and Baron from Detroit when they get off the train in Book Three?

3. What weapon does Isaac steal in Book Four?

4. Where did Harris's friends at the bar work previously in Book Four?

5. What does the black prisoner call Poe when he approaches him in the cafeteria in Book Three?

Short Essay Questions

1. What do Grace and Harris discuss when he visits her in Book Four?

2. How has Issac's character evolved in Book Three? How are the changes in Isaac's character revealed?

3. What inner conflicts does Grace Poe face in the beginning of Book Three?

4. What is foreshadowed by the conversation between Grace and Harris in Book Four?

5. What leads up to the cafeteria fight between Poe and another inmate in Book Three?

6. How is the theme of sacrifice explored in Book Four of American Rust?

7. What is significant about Isaac's use of the phrase "Badge of Honor" in Book Four?

8. What internal conflict does Poe face while in solitary confinement in Book Four?

9. How has Poe's character evolved in Book Three? How does the author illustrate the changes in Poe's character?

10. What information does Glen Patacki relate to Harris in Book Three?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze and discuss the character of Grace Poe in the novel. How is Grace described? What is her relationship like with her son? What is Grace's relationship like with Virgil? What is revealed of Grace's character through her actions in the story?

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 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?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 884 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample