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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 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?

2. After he can no longer spend time with his friends, where does Rip start going to spend time away from his home and farm?

3. How does Rip's wife treat his dog?

4. What is Rip's son's name?

5. When on page 31, the narrator refers to Rip's wife's nagging as a "torrent of household eloquence," what tone is created?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the condition of Rip's children.

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

3. 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?

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

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

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

7. Describe the relationship between Rip and his wife.

8. How is the setting of the Catskills described?

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze the thematic purpose of including Rip's son and grandson in the story. Be sure to use textual evidence to defend your claims.

Essay Topic 2

Write an analysis of the diction in "Rip Van Winkle." Offer a claim about its character and purpose: consider its elevation, is concreteness, and its connotative aspects. Be sure to offer quoted textual support for your claims.

Essay Topic 3

The "termagant" wife is a frequent feature of Irving's work. Write an essay in which you consider from both a historical and literary perspective what the purpose of such a character might be. That is, how would such a character have been received in Irving's time? What literary precedent is there for a character of this nature? How does the inclusion of this type of character affect the plot and communicate theme? Be sure to offer textual evidence for your claims and cite all sources in MLA format.

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