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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. What is Rip's dog's name?

2. Where is the village that Rip lives in?

3. What evidence does the frame narrator give that the main story's narrator is still well-liked?

4. What kind of relationship does Rip have with the village children?

5. On page 30, the reader is told that Rip has an "insuperable aversion to all kinds of profitable labour." What does this mean is true about him?

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

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

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

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

7. 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?

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

9. Describe the relationship between Rip and his wife.

10. How is the setting of the Catskills described?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explain how Irving uses diction, detail, and figurative language to make the Catskill Mountains almost equivalent to another character in this story. Be sure to use textual evidence to defend your claims.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay in which you analyze the use of the frame narrative in "Rip Van Winkle." Establish both how Irving employs the frame narrative and what you believe its purpose in this story is. Finally, analyze the impact of this rhetorical choice on Irving's success in conveying his theme. Be sure to offer 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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