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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. 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?

2. Which nation controls New York at the time when Rip and the village are introduced to the reader?

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

4. Where does Rip spend time with his friends?

5. Who is Peter Stuyvesant?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. Describe the relationship between Rip and his wife.

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

4. How is the setting of the Catskills described?

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

6. 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?

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

8. Describe the condition of Rip's children.

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

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 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

What message is "Rip Van Winkle" sending about idleness versus productivity? Is it always clear, or are their ambiguities? Consider details, plot events, diction, and tone as you take a stand on this issue and defend your claims with textual evidence.

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