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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 is Rip's son's name?

2. On page 30, the reader learns that Rip is "obsequious" and his wife is a "termagant." What can accurately be said about their relationship?

3. On page 29, the setting sun causes something to light up and glow "like a crown of glory." This is an example of what literary technique?

4. What evidence does the frame narrator give that the main story's narrator is still well-liked?

5. On page 29, the mountains are said to be "lording it over the surrounding country." This is an example of which literary technique?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the condition of Rip's home and farm.

2. Explain the relationship of Washington Irving, Diedrich Knickerbocker, and Geoffrey Crayon.

3. Describe how Rip's relationship with the dog contrasts with his wife's relationship with the dog.

4. Explain what the frame narrative says about the historian who recorded Rip's story--where does his work come from, and how reliable is it?

5. What do Rip and his friends do when they gather together outside the village inn, and how does this characterize Rip?

6. What relationship does Rip have with the village children, and how does it characterize him?

7. Describe the contents of the story's epigraph and tell how this relates to the frame narrative.

8. Describe the relationship between Rip and his wife.

9. How is the setting of the Catskills described?

10. Describe the condition of Rip's children.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explain how Irving uses diction, detail, and figurative language to make the Catskill Mountains almost equivalent to another character in this story. Be sure to use textual evidence to defend your claims.

Essay Topic 2

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.

Essay Topic 3

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.

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