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Gothic novels, provide a good example of the type of
6. Based on the information in paragraph writing being produced in America at the time.
2, what can be inferred about Slowly, however, writers began to emerge whose
Washington Irving? work could honestly be said to be unique and truly

A He held a dim view of New American.
England society. One of the first such authors was Washington
B He published his works under a Irving. Irving’s work possessed a sharp satirical wit,
pseudonym for fear of reprisals. which along with the rough hewn voice of his
C He ignored the works of earlier narration, differentiated him from European writers of
authors. his time. Irving first gained notice with his A History
D He was more concerned with his of New-York from the Beginning of the World to the
European audience than End of the Dutch Dynasty, which he published under
American opinions. the pseudonym Diedrich Knickerbocker. The work
was a comedic yet caustic look at New England
Paragraph 2 is marked with an arrow [ ].
society and lampooned many of New York’s leading
families. Still, the book was highly popular, and
7. The word derived in the passage is Irving began to receive widespread recognition both
closest in meaning to at home and abroad.
In 1815, Irving left for Europe on a trip that
A deviated
would ultimately take him away from home for 17
B distinguished
years. Irving was immensely popular at this time
C drawn
and did much to enhance the reputation of American
D dismissed
literature in Europe. Ironically, it was during this
period that Irving, widely hailed as the first
“American” author, wrote some of his most
important works. Both Rip Van Winkle and The
Legend of Sleepy Hollow were written at this time,
and both clearly show a European influence on his
writing. This, in fact, has become a major criticism of
Irving’s writing. While stories like The Legend of
Sleepy Hollow were set in America and illustrated
certain aspects of American life, they were ultimately
derived from European source material. Irving’s
later writings followed this trend with such books as
The Life and Voyages of Christopher Columbus, The
Conquest of Granada, and Tales of the Alhambra.
While not all literary scholars agree, many feel that
this focus on essentially European subjects leaves a

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