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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 33, Rip complies with the stranger's request with "his usual alacrity." How does Rip comply?

2. Where does Rip find himself on the morning after meeting the strangers on the mountain?

3. When Rip is tired from hunting, he lies down on a knoll. What is he lying on?

4. What does Rip do while he is resting on the mountainside?

5. What do Rip and the stranger climb up on their way up the mountainside?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

4. 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?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

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 3

Write an essay in which you analyze the role of Rip's dog, Wolf, in conveying theme. What is Wolf's role in the plot? How do different people react to him? What is the purpose of his name? What is the function of the allusion to Odysseus's dog involving Wolf? Be sure to offer textual evidence for your claims.

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