Exam 1

Modern American Literature Fall 2021

Exam 1

Instructions for the exam:

· Answers must be in complete sentences, coherent, and address the question(s) being asked.

· Make sure that you answer everything that is asked in the question. Failure to do so will result in a deduction of points.

· Your answers must be at least 5 sentences each; anything less will receive an automatic deduction of points.

· Don’t forget proper punctuation for titles of works!

· No plagiarism tolerated on this exam. If anything is plagiarized, you will receive a 0 (zero) for the entire exam.

· Please delete these instructions from your document before turning in your exam. Do include the questions along with your answers.

· 10 points each maximum/100 points total possible

1. Define protagonist and antagonist and give an example of each from the works read.

2. Explain the category of Realism in a literary context. Provide an example from the works we have read and explain why/how it fits in the category.

3. What is setting in literature? Is it important to a story? Why or why not?

4. Choose one symbol from Dickinson’s “Because I could not stop for Death” and explain the symbol. Use a line(s) from the poem in your explanation and make sure that you are specific when explaining.

5. Explain what a tall tale is. In “The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County,” why do you think Wheeler is so interested in getting people to listen to his tall tales? Does he just like to hear himself talk, or does he think they can learn something from him?

6. Also in “The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County,” what’s the deal with Smiley’s constant gambling? Is he an addict? If not, what satisfaction does it give him? Why do we tend to associate gambling with westerners?

7. After accidentally setting the forest ablaze on the shore of Lake Tahoe, Sam and his companion climb into the boat and compare the spectacles (from Roughng It). What are they looking at, how do they compare them, and what is Mark Twain really trying to say? Give a modern equivalent as an example.

8. In “Tennessee’s Partner,” the use of dialect is important. Choose a passage from the story that you think is the best example of the use of dialect and tell why it is important to the story.

9. According to the plot diagram, the end of a story should be the resolution. What happened at the very end of “Tennessee’s Partner?” Was it a resolution or not?

10. What are literary lenses? Why are they important to use or at least recognize when reading literature?