美国文学试题Questions for Testing

1、Part II Explanation of literary terms 1. Characterization of Hester Prynne （P27）Author-Nathaniel Hawthorne-The Scarlet Letter. The main characters : Hester Prynne, her husband Chillingworth , and the young pastor DimmesdaleThe Scarlet Letter-Adultery which finally replaced by Angle and AbleHester Pr

2、ynne: the main character of The Scarlet Letter. She is a married women but have an adultery with a pastor and give birth to a baby. Because of that Hester suffers the public humiliation of having to wear the letter "A" on her chest. But she faces the future optimistically, and helps others

3、. Finally ,she is able to construct her life, and wins a moral success. She can be described by attractive, appealing, intelligent, capable , Passionate, strong, contemplative, and maternal. Because , she endures years of shame and scorn, and still cares for the poor and brings them food and clothin

4、g.2. Hesters sin and punishmentWhen Hester's husband was away for a long time, she committed adultery by sleeping with Dimmesdale, the town's minister. Her punishment is to wear a scarlet letter A on her bosom for the rest of her life. She also must stand on a scaffold for 3 hours where the

5、whole town can watch her.3. a free verseFree verse - also known as vers libre - is a term describing various styles of poetry that are written without using a strict rhyme scheme, but still recognizable as poetry by virtue of complex patterns of one sort or another that readers will perceive to be p

6、art of a coherent whole.4. “the Modern man” in “Ones Self I Sing” (P60)Author: Walt Whitman -Leaves of Grass-起初12首Theme: individuality, personality, independence, self-identity, integrity, totality, democracy, equality.Though modern man fights for all his freedoms and for his individuality, the grea

7、test freedom he has is his right to live.5. The overall metaphor in “O Captain! My Captain!”? (P62)The "ship" the United States of America, its "fearful trip" the troubles of the American Civil War.The "Captain" Lincoln The prize is the preservation of the union6. Succe

8、ss Is Counted SweetestDickinson sends the message that only failures fully understand the meaning of success. The person best qualified to evaluate the impact of success is the vanquished rather than the victor. She uses dramatic irony to imply that cherish what we have now.7. The symbol of a frog i

9、n Emilys poem “Im Nobody!”Frog here is a symbol of somebody . Because frogs make a lot of noise.,just like these public figures who do not even attempt to say anything of importance - all they do is “tell ones name,” that is, their own name, over and over, in an attempt to make themselves seem impor

10、tant. The poem says that frogs, though they can croak and make themselves heard and be noticed, are noticed only by "an admiring bog." just same as these somebodies who may have many admirers, but they might not be able to make those personal connections that real friendship offers.8. Narr

11、ator of Simon WheelerSimon Wheeler is a narrator deliberately arranged by Mark Twain to tell these stories. Though he is bald and lazy, and seems simple, he may be cleverer than he looks. He is certainly very aggressive in getting the narrator to listen to him.9. Fire and Ice (P194)Author: Robert Fr

12、ostIt is written in a single 9-line stanza, which greatly narrows in the last two lines. The poem's meter is an irregular mix of iambic tetrameter and dimeter, and the rhyme scheme (abaabcbcb) also follows no regular pattern.Symbolism and ImageryThe first symbol and image of fire; The second sym

13、bol and image of ice;“the world” as a symbol for a relationship.The poem ends with the line “And would suffice” which oversimplifies the meaning that has been created. By using this line, the poet emphasizes the harm of desire and hate in a relationship. 10. The Road Not Taken (p197) Author :Robert

14、FrostThe poem is loaded with rhythm, metaphors and greatness.The poem is a lyric poem with four stanzas of five lines each. The rhyme scheme is abaab. The rhymes are strict and masculine. There are four stressed syllables per line, varying on an iambic tetrameter baseThe poem revolves around the met

15、aphor comparing the decisions we make on the journey of life to a fork in the road.The poem is dealing with the division of the human mind. As a traveler on the road of life, Robert Frost wants to join two different roads, but he can only choose one of them. He chooses the one less traveled, and tha

16、t makes all the difference. By this he is telling us that we should try out for new roads and new paths in life. This is a meditative poem symbolically written. It concerns the important decisions which one must take in the course of life, when one must give up one desirable thing in order to posses

17、s another. Then, whatever the outcome, one must accept the consequences of one's choice for it is not possible to go back and have another chance to choose differently. In the poem, he followed the one which was not frequently travelled by. Symbolically, he chose to follow an unusual, solitary l

18、ife; Part III Short questions (25%)1. What are the motifs causing Montresor to seek revenge on his friend Fortunato?Fortunato had insulted his family, which Montresor could not tolerate. Montresor claims that the insult was so horrible that the only justification and response to these words is death

19、. 2. How did Montresor tempt Fortunato into the palazzo?Montresor exploits Fortunato's interest in wine.so when they meet in the street during carnival, he tempts Fortunato by claiming he has purchased a cask of Amontillado, which is a dry sherry, but he is unsure if its authentic. Instead of as

20、king Fortunato directly to examine the Amontillado, Montresor says he will ask another because Fortunato is busy.Fortunato agrees to accompany Montresor home，in the family catacombs, nitre makes Fortunato to cough. Montresor says they will go back, and keep saying there is Luchresi, but Fortunato wa

21、nts to see the Amontillado, claiming, "I shall not die of a cough," to which Montresor replies, "True true." he still wants to see the Amontillado, and they continue deeper into the tombs.3. What happens to Fortunato in the end?The first few days, Fortunato was walled up alive be

22、hind bricks in the wine cellar. He attempted to shout for help, but no one could hear that. At last, because of his inability to get out of the catacomb, the deceived Fortunato died slowly, in the darkness alone.4. What punishments would the Puritan women have given Hester Prynne if it were left to

23、them?They would most like have had her placed in the stocks then branded, as they mention in the book, The Scartlet Letter. Or they even could of had her executed.5. What do clover and bee symbolize respectively in the poem “To Make a Praire”? (p64)Author :Emily DickinsonThe bee is the male. The clo

24、ver is the female. meansIt just takes a seed or something small, a beginning and something to get it going.6. What sensation of humor can you get from Mark Twains short story The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County?A sense of humor ,exaggeration and satire. He used the artistic style of hype

25、rbole on the basis of the western traditional humor and made his writing full of allegories that lay behind the humor. His humour is of witty remarks mocking at small things and making people laugh. Also it is a kind of artistic style used to criticize the social injustice.(The tale is a about a gen

26、teel, educated narrator recounts a story he has heard from an unsophisticated teller, and gives a secondhand account of a career gambler who gets taken by a stranger passing through town. It also reflects the existing cultural differences between the western and eastern regions of the United States.

27、 7. What is the language style in Mark Twains selected short story?He was the world's most famous humorist. And he is famous for his humor and satire. He used the artistic style of hyperbole on the basis of the western traditional humor and made his writing full of allegories that lay behind the

28、 humor. Local color -represented social life through portraits of local places which he knew best .anddrew from his own rich fund of knowledge of people and places Colloquial Style or Vernacular-He used a lot of colloquial idioms and colloquial syntax. 8. Whats the irony of “A clean, Well-lighted Pl

29、ace”?Author :Ernest Hemingway“Clean” symbolizes “order,” “well-lighted” symbolizes “light and hope.” Therefore, this clean, well-lighted place is an insulation surrounded by darkness, filth and disorder, a haven of peace, a refuge for the old man and the older waiter and all the people who are lonel

30、y, isolated, void, lost and despaired. However, what is sarcastic is that, in this dark, confusing and void world, even a temporary refuge cannot exist for long. The younger waiter does not understand the old man. He even laughs at him. He thinks that the old man is “lonely” and “nasty”, and tries t

31、o drive the old man away.9. What differences can you interpret from the lifestyles of the old man and the two waiters in Hemingways selected short story? (p181)1) The young waiter tends to be selfish. He is fully confident of his marriage and work, but he does not know that all these are based on hi

32、s youth, which is not reliable since it is temporary. He lives in nada, of which he is not aware at all. He lives in a state of ignorance, muddling along. We can say that he is physically alive but spiritually dead. 2) The old waiter tends to be sympathetic and less confident. He wants to help other

33、 lonely people who have lost their beliefs, although the only thing he can offer them is a decent place as a refuge from the disorderly, dark, and meaningless world. He is fully aware of the nihilistic life of modern men, therefore, he faces such a meaningless life with courage, endurance, and digni

34、ty by seeking order, code, and meaning of life in his heart.3) The old man is racked with despair - at his loneliness, the darkness of his life, his segregation from the world, and the Nothingness that permeates his existence. 10. Why does the speaker stop by the woods on a snowy evening in Robert F

35、rosts second selected poem?The poet was deeply attracted by the natural beauty of the scene at that very moment.The poem presents one persons momentary encounter with nature. Perhaps he wishes to lose himself in their silent mystery, away from the routine and regimen of everyday life-at least for a

36、while. Maybe the woods remind him of his childhood. Or perhaps they represent risk, opportunity-something dangerous and uncharted to be explored. It could be, too, that they signify the mysteries of life and the afterlife or that they represent sexual temptation: They are, after all, lovely, dark, a

37、nd deep.11. What are the characteristics of the style of Frosts poetry? (p193)1) Frost was a pioneer in the interplay of rhythm and meter and in the poetic use of the vocabulary and inflections of everyday speech. His poetry is thus both traditional and experimental, regional and universal.2) Robert

38、 Frost is highly regarded for his realistic depictions of rural life and his command of American colloquial speech. His works frequently employ settings from rural life in New England in the early twentieth century, using them to examine complex social and philosophical themes.12. How does Pounds us

39、e of metaphor unify man and nature in the poem? In the poem, people and nature literally become one as the faces in the subway become flowers on a tree. The analogy between faces and flowers is not just a simile, which would say that one thing is "like" another. Rather, it is metaphor: the

40、 poem implies that the faces are petals on a tree.Part IV Literary interpretation of selected readings (20%)Page 11, the first three linesThe Cask of AmontilladoPoe writes this story from the perspective of Montresor who vows revenge against Fortunato in an effort to support his time-honored family

41、motto: "No one assails me with impunity." Poe does not intend for the reader to sympathize with Montresor because he has been wronged by Fortunato, but rather to judge him. Telling the story from Montresor's point of view intensifies the effect of moral shock and horror. Once again, th

42、e reader is invited to drop into the inner workings of a sinister mind. Poe's shows the conflict directly at the beginning of the story. The reader becomes quickly aware of the fact that Montresor is not a reliable narrator, and that he has a tendency to hold grudges and exaggerate terribly, as

43、he refers to the "thousand injuries" that he has suffered at the hands of Fortunato. "but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge."Page 33, the last paragraphIts comes from Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter, this paragraph describes Hesters happiness and excitement when she know

44、 that all of the sins has vanished from her baby and her. Her advice is sought by the community and the letter A has changed into Able. Pearl is transformed into a normal child, no longer an elf. Since she confessed her guilty, faced the future optimistically and helps others, then be able to constr

45、uct her life, wins a moral success to gain moral growth and wined peoples understanding and trust, be a real angle. Its also reflect Hawthornes point of view that evil educate people and sometimes can make us better. Hester no longer bears the scarlet letter alone.Page 62, the last four lines in sta

46、nza 1 Page 65, the third stanzaThis stanza comes from Dickinsons success is counted sweetest. The poem uses third-person narration in which the speaker observes a battle and concludes that only the defeated warrior, hearing the enemy's noisy victory celebration, completely understands success. A

47、nd tell us only failures fully understand the meaning of success. The person best qualified to evaluate the impact of success is the vanquished rather than the victor. If you are fight for sth meaningful, dont give up, no matter what the result is. The easy success is not so sweet.Page 66, the secon

48、d stanza This stanza comes from Dickinsons Im Nobody. Page 69, the former four lines in the second paragraphIts comes from mark twains The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County. The former four line critics frequently used like monotonous narrative never smiled, never frowmed gentle-flowing ke

49、y shows Twains use of humor and exaggeration. He uses tactics that sound like military maneuvers, such as "blockading" the narrator with a chair so that he cant leave. Though Simon Wheeler is bald and lazy, and seems simple, he may be cleverer than he looks. Hes certainly very aggressive i

50、n getting the narrator to listen to him. He throws the narrator completely off guard. He also talks real funny and ungrammatical-like to show that the tales satirical focus on storytelling and existing cultural differences between the western and eastern regions of the United States.Page 184, from l

51、ast 20th to 14th lineThis lines come from Hemingways A Clean, Well-Lighted Place. the old waiter's repetitive use of the term “nada” suggests his nihilistic tendencies because he faces loneliness and advancing death like the old man. He is fully aware of the nihilistic life of modern men .Althou

52、gh he was somewhat depressed about this, however, he still decides to face such a meaningless life with courage, endurance, and dignity by seeking order, code, and meaning of life in his heart. And try to tellus even when life gets you down, you should accept it and try to keep it real and face it b

53、ravely.Page 196, the last stanzaComes from Robert frosts Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening. The traveler would like to stay a while and perhaps even enter the woods to absorb their ambience and ponder the mystery of life and nature. However, he has obligations and responsibilities. Therefore, he

54、decides to move on. The repetition in the last two lines denotes a literal recognition that the speaker must move on and there is much to be done before life ends. The winter bleakness of the setting establishes a lonely tone and the symbolic weight of this brief moment when the speaker is drawn to

55、what the woods represent-death, perhaps a temporary release from lifes duties and obligations.Part V General questions (30%)1. How can you understand Poes characterization of Montresor and Fortunato?Firstly. Form the name of Montresor and Fortunato. The former one means monstrous horror and evil whi

56、le the later means fortune rich and good luck. Make them a obviously contrast form the name. And then Poe uses color imagery to characterize them. Montresor face is covered in a black silk mask, In contrast, Fortunato dresses the motley-colored costume of the court fool, The color schemes here repre

57、sent the irony of Fortunato's death sentence. Through the acts, words, and thoughts of Fortunato, we know He is greedy, he was lured into the dark valley just because a cask of Amontillado. This is also due to his bad habit of excessive dirking. He lost himself on hearing the wine. At the same t

58、ime, he was cheated by his enemy, which reflected his ignorance. When he heard the pretended compliment from Montresor, he became very arrogant. He was easily confused by the superficial phenomena. He couldnt tolerate that others were stronger than him. For example, Montresor always stimulated him w

59、ith Luchresi who was good at tasting in wine. Under the impulse of vanity, he fell into Montresors terrible trap. In fact, he was careless and foolish and didnt find that the danger was approaching him. He looked down upon Montresor and others. He didnt realize his foolishness until the death was coming. Last, from the appearance, Monstresor was a well-educated and “kind” businessman. He enjoye