ATA Honors American Literature: Realism

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ATA Honors American Literature: Realism

Multiple Choice

Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.

Mary Chestnut’s Civil War

In from Mary Chesnut’s Civil War, Mary Chesnut’s husband

a.participates in negotiations with the commander of Fort Sumter.

b.is commander of Fort Sumter.

c.is commander of the forces attacking Fort Sumter.

d.is a reporter covering the conflict over Fort Sumter.

In the excerpt from Mary Chesnut’s Civil War, Mary Chesnut hosts numerous merry, witty dinners. Why do the guests enjoy themselves so much when war seems to be so near?

a.They are sure their side will win.c.They are not personally involved.

b.They think war and battle are exciting.d.They are convinced there will not be a war.

Which of the following passages from Mary Chesnut’s Civil War is an opinion?

a.“My husband has been made an aide-de-camp of General Beauregard.”

b.“Now he tells me the attack upon Fort Sumter may begin tonight.”

c.“Lincoln or Seward have made such silly advances. . . .”

d.“Today Miles and Manning, colonels now . . . dine with us.”

An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge

Which of the following contributes most to the mystery of “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge”?

a.the breaking of the hangman's nooseb.the shooting by the Union sentries

c.Farquhar's underwater struggled.the order in which events occur

In “Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge,” why does Farquhar hear his watch ticking as he dies?

a.He hopes the watch will start to work.b.He wants to know his time of death.

c.His senses are extra strong before death.d.Everything else around him is quiet.

In “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge,” which is in third-person limited point of view?

a.“Peyton Farquhar was a well-to-do planter …”

b.“A man stood upon a railroad bridge in northern Alabama …”

c.“He wore a mustache and a pointed beard …”

d.“He was awakened - ages later, it seemed to him - by … a sharp pressure.”

In “Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge,” in which order do the following events occur?

AFarquhar imagines reuniting with his wife.

BFarquhar is approached by a Federal scout.

CFarquhar's board is released and he falls.

DFarquhar dies of hanging.

a.A, B, C, Db.B, A, C, Dc.A, D, B, Cd.B, C, A, D

Spirituals

In “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,” to whom does the singer refer in the following: “If you get there before I do … Tell all my friends I'm coming too”?

a.relatives who have abandoned herb.slaves who have already escaped

c.blacks who were born in the Northd.whites on the Underground Railroad

As you listen to the three stressed syllables at the beginning of the refrain of “Go down, Moses,” what do you hear?

a.a commandb.a questionc.a statementd.a plea

Which element of “Go Down, Moses” is characteristic of many spirituals?

a.biblical references b.references to Moses

c.warnings of punishmentd.demands upon leaders

Why were spirituals such as “Follow the Drinking Gord” a threat to slaveowners?

a.They made fun of slaveowners.b.They carried coded messages.

c.They called for work strikes.d.They ignored white culture.

The Story of an Hour

In “The Story of an Hour,” why is Josephine afraid to tell Mrs. Mallard that her husband died?

a.Mrs. Mallard has a mental problem.b.Mrs. Mallard has a heart condition.

c.Mrs. Mallard is expecting a baby.d.Mrs. Mallard is planning to leave him.

In “The Story of an Hour,” the thing that Mrs. Mallard feels approaching her is described as “creeping” and as something that will “possess her.” Why are these words ironic?

a.It is her sudden death she feels coming.b.It is her widowhood she feels coming.

c.It is her mourning she feels coming.d.It is her freedom she feels coming.

Which moment in “The Story of an Hour” is an example of situational irony?

a.when Mrs. Mallard wishes to be alone after hearing the news of her husband's death

b.when Mrs. Mallard weeps wildly after hearing the news of her husband's death

c.when Mrs. Mallard whispers, “free, free, free,” after hearing of her husband's death

d.when Mrs. Mallard says, “Go away,” after hearing the news of her husband's death

What is a major theme of Chopin's “The Story of an Hour”?

a.personal freedomb.open marriagec.sad widowhoodd.loss of love

To Build a Fire

What is the external conflict in “To Build a Fire”?

a.between human and dogb.between human and nature

c.between human and humand.between human and God

What information appears toward the beginning of “To Build a Fire” that helps readers predict that the man will soon be in trouble?

a.It will take him all day to reach camp.

b.The sun has not come above the horizon.

c.It is much colder than he thinks it is.

d.He has heavy whiskers on his face.

In “To Build a Fire,” what can you predict when the man comes across a hidden spring?

a.The dog will fall into hidden spring.

b.The man will fall into hidden spring.

c.The man will follow the spring to camp.

d.The man will drink from the spring.

What does London suggest when he writes, “The dog did not know anything about thermometers … But the brute had its instinct” in “To Build A Fire”?

a.The man is smarter than the dog.

b.The dog does not need a device to measure the cold.

c.A man's brain and a dog's brain are not the same.

d.Only man has awareness about danger.

Which of these states a central message of “To Build a Fire”?

a.To survive in the wilderness, pay attention to your surroundings.

b.To survive in the Arctic, know when summer is due to arrive.

c.To survive in extreme cold, dress in warm clothing and boots.

d.To survive in extreme conditions, be sure to carry enough food.

Which internal conflict does the man experience toward the end of “To Build a Fire”?

a.hope versus acceptanceb.summer versus winter

c.anger versus sadnessd.life versus death

Episode of War

“An Episode of War” is the story of

a.a young soldier named Willie.b.how a lieutenant lost his arm.

c.the Battle at Gettysburg.d.the conflict between a soldier and a doctor.

Which statement best explains why “An Episode of War” may be viewed as a naturalistic story?

a.It takes place outdoors.

b.In this tale an ordinary man's life is shaped by a force he cannot control, but he endures this life-changing event with strength and dignity.

c.It shows the harsh realities of everyday life rather than an optimistic view of the world.

d.It shows the sentimental side of war.

The fact that the lieutenant can now “see many things which as a participant in the fight were unknown to him” helps emphasize that

a.war is a waste of human life

b.his injury has changed his role in the war and his perspective on the world

c.wounded men are often treated as “non-people.”

d.the complex machinery of war is an “aggregation of wheels, levers, and motors.”

If you make predictions about the fate of the lieutenant’s arm in “An Episode of War,” you must

a.believe that the story will end happily.

b.recognize the story’s witty tone.

c.consider the medical situation in its historical context.

d.assume the doctor is telling the truth.

In “An Episode of War,” why do you suppose Crane chose not to depict the amputationprocedure?

a.It was too gruesome.

b.He couldn’t find out what such an experience was like.

c.He didn’t want to shock his readers.

d.He wanted to focus the story on the lieutenant’s changing perspective on life.

The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County

27.Base your answer on the following excerpt:
“[Smiley’s dog] would grab the other dog . . . and hang on till they throwed up the
sponge.”
In this sentence, the words “throwed up the sponge” mean that the people watching the dog fight would
a. admit that they had lost the bet.
b. bet more money on Smiley’s dog.
c. grab Smiley’s dog and tie it up.
d. try to help the other dog beat Smiley’s dog.

28.Which of the following does Mark Twain use to add humor to this story?
a. unexpected plot shifts
b. misunderstandings between characters
c. colorful names for characters
d. all of the above

29.Who describes Smiley to the reader?
a. Smiley
b. the narrator
c. Simon Wheeler
d. the stranger

30.When Jim Smiley brought Dan’l Webster downtown and “lay for a bet,” Twain means that Jim Smiley would
a. talk for a while.
b. put money on the frog.
c. lie down and sleep.
d. wait for someone to make a bet with him.

31.One aspect of “The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County” that makes the story humorous is the fact that
a. Simon Wheeler does not recognize how ridiculous his tale is.
b. the narrator believes everything that Simon Wheeler tells him.
c. Smiley refuses to believe that the frog-jumping contest was fair.
d. the stranger thinks that he can actually fool Smiley.

32.What is the probable result of a “monotonous narrative”?
a. Listeners will be educated.
b. Listeners will be bored.
c. Listeners will either strongly agree or disagree with the speaker.
d. Listeners will be inspired to fight for the speaker’s cause.

33.What is the meaning of the phrase “hadn’t no” in “he hadn’t no idea”?
a. had
b. had any
c. had no
d. had not no

Matching

a.Realismab.Objective point of view

b.Naturalismac.Refrain

c.Conflictad.Chronological order

d.Spiritualsae.Omniscient point of view

e. / Third person limited point of view / abc / Dramatic irony

Attempts to analyze human behavior objectively, like a scientist. Has a sense of life as a losing battle in an uncaring universe. Relies on natural consequences for its outcomes.
The repeated part in the spiritual.
The struggle between opposing forces or characters in a story.
The rejection of idealized romantic literature; avoiding over dramatic, focus on real-life issues and struggles: emphasis on lower class.
The narrator seems to know everythingabout all characters and events.
The narrator zooms in on the thoughts and feelings of a single character.
The events are told in the order they happen.
The audience knows things that the characters in the story don’t know.
Slave songs that were essentially about freedom.

Reading Comprehension

“The Gettysburg Address” Abraham Lincoln

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow -- this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

Why does Lincoln deliver “The Gettysburg Address”?

a.to make a formal declaration of war

b.to dedicate ground for a cemetery

c.to end the Civil War

d.to make plans for the Civil War

In “The Gettysburg Address,” what kind of diction does Lincoln use in the phrase “Four score and seven years ago”?

a.abstractb.informalc.privated.formal

What event does Lincoln refer to when he says that “our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in Liberty” in “The Gettysburg Address”?

a.the end of the Civil War

b.the beginning of the Civil War in 1861

c.the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776

d.the exploration of the New World by Columbus

What is another way to state the following from “The Gettysburg Address”?

“The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it [made it holy], far above our poor power to add or detract”

a.Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it.

b.Actions speak louder than words.

c.Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

d.The pen is mightier than the sword.

What is the “great task remaining before us” that Lincoln says Americans should dedicate themselves to?

a.freeing the slaves

b.preserving the United States

c.establishing a new nation

d.remembering the dead

In “The Gettysburg Address” Lincoln explains that the stated purpose for meeting on this battlefield is to ____.

a.dedicate the nation to the Southern cause

b.dedicate themselves to revenging the Gettysburg dead

c.dedicate a portion of the field as a final resting place for fallen soldiers

d.dedicate themselves to God

Considering the diction of “The Gettysburg Address,” describe Lincoln's view of himself and his audience.

a.powerless and defeated

b.humble and dedicated

c.cowardly and fearful

d.noble and proud

Lincoln’s references to birth at the beginning and the end of “The Gettysburg Address” suggest that he

a.recognizes the need for humor at a sad time.

b.is concerned with population losses due to battlefield casualties.

c.is aware of the nation’s short history.

d.wishes to relate complex ideas to a common experience.

Essay (pick one)

Several of the stories have strong links between the place/time and the literature. Pick a piece of work from the unit (from the study guide) and explain how the characters or theme are influenced by the setting? Develop your thoughts in an essay based on details from the story.
Select a story that is a good example of realism and/or naturalism. Using examples from the work, explain the elements and why they are good examples. Express your views in an essay based on clear logic and details from the story.

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