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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 Rip wakes in the morning on the mountainside, what does he think has happened to his gun?

2. When Rip nears the amphitheater where the group of men were on the night before, what does he notice?

3. What strikes Rip as very odd about the way the men on the mountainside are behaving?

4. What does the man that Rip traveled up the mountainside with want Rip to do once they reach the other men?

5. On page 35, Rip is "tempted to repeat the draught." How is the word "draught" pronounced?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. 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?

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

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

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

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

7. 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?

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

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay in which you analyze the use of stories attributed to indigenous cultures in the "Postscript." Be sure to use textual evidence to defend your claims, and if you use outside sources, be sure to cite them in MLA format.

Essay Topic 2

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.

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay in which you argue for or against the proposition that Dame Van Winkle is an allegorical representation of Great Britain. Be sure to offer textual evidence for your claims.

(see the answer keys)

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