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

2. On his way home from the mountains, what does Rip suddenly realize about his own appearance?

3. What does Rip keep hearing as he and the stranger climb up the mountainside?

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

5. The men on the mountainside have "uncouth, lack lustre countenances" (34). What does this mean is true about the men?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. 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?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 defend, refute, or qualify the proposition "Washington Irving's 'Rip Van Winkle' is a clear early example of American Romanticism." 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 analyze the thematic purpose of the "Note" at the end of the story. Be sure to use textual evidence to defend your claims.

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