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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What evidence does the frame narrator give that the main story's narrator is still well-liked?
(a) There is a children's rope-skipping rhyme about him.
(b) His picture is stamped onto new year's cakes.
(c) There is a street in New York named after him.
(d) His portrait is hung in many local schools.

2. How does Rip's wife treat his dog?
(a) She treats the dog better than anyone else in the family.
(b) She ignores the dog completely.
(c) She treats the dog the same way she treats Rip.
(d) She insists that the dog stay outside and earn its keep on the farm.

3. In the frame narrative, the reader is told that the main story's narrator gets his information from the wives of the "burghers" (28). Whose wives are these?
(a) The wives of political officials.
(b) The wives of prominent Dutch colonists.
(c) The wives of country farmers.
(d) The wives of local indigenous leaders.

4. On page 30, the reader learns that Rip is "obsequious" and his wife is a "termagant." What can accurately be said about their relationship?
(a) One is embarrassed by the other.
(b) They have violent arguments with each other.
(c) One bullies the other.
(d) They each have a skill that helps the other.

5. On page 28, the reader is told that the narrator of the main story is known for "scrupulous" accuracy. What kind of accuracy is this?
(a) Approximate and imperfect.
(b) Reckless and indifferent.
(c) Thorough and honest.
(d) Demanding and critical.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who is the author of "Rip Van Winkle"?

2. In the epigraph from Cartwright's play, to whom does the speaker swear that he will be honest?

3. Who is the frame narrator of "Rip Van Winkle"?

4. Who is Derrick Van Brummel?

5. Who is Peter Stuyvesant?

Short Essay Questions

1. Explain what the frame narrative says about the historian who recorded Rip's story--where does his work come from, and how reliable is it?

2. Describe the contents of the story's epigraph and tell how this relates to the frame narrative.

3. What relationship does Rip have with the village children, and how does it characterize him?

4. What do Rip and his friends do when they gather together outside the village inn, and how does this characterize Rip?

5. Describe the condition of Rip's children.

6. Explain the relationship of Washington Irving, Diedrich Knickerbocker, and Geoffrey Crayon.

7. Describe the relationship between Rip and his wife.

8. How is the setting of the Catskills described?

9. Describe how Rip's relationship with the dog contrasts with his wife's relationship with the dog.

10. Describe the condition of Rip's home and farm.

(see the answer keys)

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