1.
Nineteenth and Twentieth century literature were quite different. How was twentieth century literature different?
Correct Answer
B. Author's from very various backgrounds covered a lot of subjects
Explanation
Author's from many diverse backgrounds wrote about many different topics during the modern period.
2.
The soldiers in the story "In Another Country" all suffer injuries. What do these injuries represent?
Correct Answer
C. The psychological pain that they experienced in the war
Explanation
The injuries the soldiers sustained were a SYMBOL for the PSYCHOLOGICAL damage left by the war they fought. Just as the writer's of the Modern period, too, were psychologically damaged by World War I.
3.
Hemingway's narrator in "In Another Country" contrasts himself with three of the soldiers with medals by referring to them as "hunting hawks." What does he mean by this?
Correct Answer
A. They were all excellent soldiers, unlike himself
Explanation
The "hunting hawks" excelled in combat, unlike the narrator, who won his medals for his nationality, instead of his bravery, skill, and prowess in battle.
4.
In Black Boy, the young Richard Wright associates the bitterness and pain he feels over being abandoned by his father with what?
Correct Answer
B. The pain he feels when he is hungry
Explanation
Wright associates the physical hunger pains he experiences with the emotional pain he experienced at his abandonment.
5.
We see and hear everything in "A Wagner Matinee" through Clark's eyes, his filter, his perception. This means that "A Wagner Matinee" has a
Correct Answer
A. First person narrator
Explanation
Clark is speaking to us, and we only see and hear his thoughts and feelings, his observations. This means that we have a FIRST PERSON narrator. A first person narrator tells us what he/she sees, hears, thinks, and experiences.
6.
Aunt Georgiana wants to leave the concert at the end of "A Wagner Matinee" because she is anxious to return to her beloved Nebraska farm life.
Correct Answer
B. False
Explanation
This is false because leaving the concert hall would mean turning away from her love of music and returning to the routine and harshness of the American Prairie.
7.
Which of the following details describe Nebraska?
Correct Answer(s)
B. Hard work and pHysical tasks
C. Rugged and unsettled
E. Takes a pHysical toll
Explanation
Nebraska is a rugged, wild country with extreme weather. Life is hard and taxes the physical body--work accidents and physical illness and injury are common.
8.
Which details describe Boston?
Correct Answer(s)
B. Tests the mind
C. Safe and civilized
E. Indoor work and mental pursuits
Explanation
Boston is a place of intellectual and artistic pursuits, where the mind is tested and there is a wide variety of culture. People are civilized and life in safe, warm homes with lighted streets.
9.
What does the young Richard learn by the end of Black Boy?
Correct Answer
B. He must stand up for himself and define his identity
Explanation
Richard learns that standing up for himself helps define his identity.
10.
"In the fall, the war was always there, but we did not go to it anymore." This sentence from "In Another Country" tells us that the characters live in a place that is full of action, excitement, and strange events.
Correct Answer
B. False
Explanation
The narrator tells us this because he is illustrating that they are in a place full of constant conflict and danger, even if they are not on the front lines everyday.
11.
What is one recurring topic in the story "In Another Country"?
Correct Answer
A. Tragedy is random
Explanation
The death of a woman who was expected to live underlines the idea that tragedy is random. Each of the various soldiers has experienced tragedy in unexpected ways in the battle. For example, the boy whose face was damaged had only been at the front for a matter of hours. He should have excelled at battle, but tragedy randomly strikes.
12.
Willa Cather explores what idea in her stories?
Correct Answer
B. A place shapes a person.
Explanation
Willa Cather uses the drastic differences between the Nebraska Prairie and the city of Boston to show how place can shape a person's life.
13.
When Richard is asked to do the grocery shopping in the excerpt from Black Boy, he experiences which two emotions?
Correct Answer
C. Pride in being asked and helpful for being able to provide
Explanation
Richard is proud to be asked to do the shopping and feels helpful that he will be able to bring food into the home again.
14.
Richard's encounter with the gang of boys is ____________________ conflict while his decision to overcome his fear is __________________ conflict.
Correct Answer
external
internal
Explanation
Internal conflict is a problem the character must overcome within him/herself.
External conflict is a problem that comes at the character from an external or outside force.
15.
Modernist Writers were impacted by this major historical event: ______________.
Correct Answer
WW1; World War I
Explanation
Modernist writers were disillusioned because of the viciousness and brutality they experienced during World War 1.
16.
Modernist writers sought to mimic the style and topics of 19th century writers
Correct Answer
B. False
Explanation
Modernists experimented with new techniques, sought new topics, and created unique styles.
17.
During the Modern era, what type of literature became more popular?
Correct Answer
B. AutobiograpHies
Explanation
Since authors were experimenting with everyday life and everyday subjects, they often drew from their own personal experiences for stories. Therefore, many authors chose to write autobiographies about their own everyday lives and experiences.