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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. How does Wolf react to the stranger on the mountainside?

2. What type of clothing is the stranger on the mountainside wearing?

3. What causes Rip to finally start for home after he realizes that he will not be able to find the strange men again?

4. What are the "flagons" that the men on the mountainside have (34)?

5. Rip is surprised by the "singularity" of the stranger's appearance (36). What kind of appearance is this?

Short Essay Questions

1. When Rip wakes up in the mountains, what changes does he immediately notice?

2. What do the men in the amphitheater remind Rip of, and what is this meant to signify?

3. Explain what the natural "amphitheater" is and how Rip and the stranger reach it.

4. When Rip reenters the village, what changes does he notice before he gets to his house?

5. What is Wolf's reaction to the stranger in the mountains, and how does it ironically relate to what happens upon Rip's return to the village?

6. What noise does Rip hear as he and the stranger make their way up the mountain, and what does the noise later turn out to be?

7. As Rip tries to retrace his steps from the night before, what changes does he find on the mountainside itself?

8. What two things does Rip at first find odd about the stranger in the mountains?

9. What does the man in the mountains want Rip's help with, and how does he communicate this?

10. What two things does Rip find the most unusual about the men in the amphitheater?

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

Analyze Rip's reactions to the episode in the mountains from when he meets the first stranger through his first moments of waking on the morning afterward. Would you say that his behavior in this episode is consistent with his earlier characterization, or not, and why? Be sure to use textual evidence to defend your claims.

Essay Topic 3

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.

(see the answer keys)

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