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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 sees a dog that looks like Wolf outside of his old house, how does the dog behave?

2. Why does Rip hurry over to the man he sees on the mountainside?

3. How does Rip end up drinking some of the men's strange liquor?

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

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

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

10. 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?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay in which you analyze the use of Dutch identity in this story. What do you notice about the connection of the Dutch settlers to Europe, and how are their culture and colonial history being put to use? Be sure to offer textual evidence for your claims and cite all sources in MLA format.

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

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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