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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. When on page 31, the narrator says of Rip that he will "eat white bread or brown," how is Rip being characterized?

2. 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?

3. On page 29, the narrator says that a person might have "descried" the smoke from the village. What does this mean a person might have done?

4. What is true of Rip's children in the beginning of the story?

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

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

6. Describe the relationship between Rip and his wife.

7. Describe the condition of Rip's children.

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. 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?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay in which you analyze the thematic purpose of the "Note" at the end of the story. Be sure to use textual evidence to defend your claims.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay in which you analyze the names of characters in this story. What patterns do you see, and what thematic significance do they have? Be sure to use textual evidence to defend 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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