美国文学选读 第三版 课后习题答案 陶洁

1、美国文学选读 第三版 课后习题答案 陶洁(部分)Unit 1 Benjamin FranklinQuestions1.Why did Franklin write his Autobiography?Franklin says that because his son may wish to know about his life, he is taking his one week vacation in the English countryside to record his past. He also says that he has enjoyed his life and woul

2、d like to repeat it2.What made Franklin decide to leave the brother to whom he had been apprenticed?His brother was passionate, and had often beaten him. The aversion to arbitrary power that has stuck to him through his whole life .After a brush with the law, Franklin left his brother.3.How did he a

3、rrive in Philadephia?First he set out in a boat for Amboy, the boat dropped him off about 50 miles from Burlington, the next day he reached Burlington on foot, in Burlington he found a boat which was going towards Philadelphia, he arrived there about eight or nine oclock, on the Sunday morning and l

4、anded at the Market Street wharf.4.What features do you find in the style of the above selection?It is the pattern of Puritan simplicity, directness, and concision(言简意赅). The narrative is lucid(易懂的), the structure is simple, the imagery is homely(朴素的).Unit 2 Edgar Allen PoeQuestions1.Who is the narr

5、ator? What wrong does he want to redress?Montresor.Fortunato,one of wine experts insulted him, so he wanted to murder him.2.What is the pretext he uses to lure Fortunato to his wine cellar?He baits Fortunato by telling him he has obtained what he believes to be a cask of Amontillado a rare and valua

6、ble sherry wine. Fortunato is anxious to determine whether or not it is truly Amontillado, so he goes to the vault with Montresor.3.What happens to Fortunato in the end?He was walled up alive behind bricks in a wine cellar.4.Describe briefly how Poe characterizes Montresor and Fortunato as contrasts

7、?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, who gets literally and tragically fooled by Montresor's masked motives. The color schemes here represent the irony of Fortuna

8、to's death sentence. Through the acts, words, and thoughts of  Fortunato,we know He is greedy, he was lured into the dark and somber vaults just because a cask of Amontillado. This is also due to his bad habit of bibulosity(酗酒）. He lost himself on hearing the wine. At the same time, he

9、 was cheated by his enemy, which reflected his ignorance. When he heard the pretended compliment from Montresor, he became very boastful and arrogant.He was easily confused by the superficial phenomena and failed to watch out for others. He couldnt tolerate that others were stronger than him. For ex

10、ample, Montresor always stimulated him with Luchresi who was good at connoisseur（鉴赏） 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

11、 realize his foolishness until the death was coming. Talking from the appearance, Monstresor was a well-educated and “kind” businessman. He enjoyed the honor and respect in the city. But in fact, he was an evil and awful person. His inner feelings were so cruel that they even made people tremble. Un

12、der his rich appearance was the dirty soul and despicable character. We couldnt see any glorious virtues in his mind. Instead, his heart was cold and dark. It was the revenge that threw Montresor into the deep evil valley.unit 4 Nathaniel HawthorneQuestions :1.Why is the prison the setting of Chapte

13、r 1 ? No matter how optimistic the founders of new colonies may be, they are quick to establish a prison and a cemetery in their “Utopia,” for they know that misbehavior, evil, and death are unavoidable. This belief fits into the larger Puritan doctrine, which puts heavy emphasis on the idea of orig

14、inal sinthe notion that all people are born sinners because of the initial transgressions of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. he is therefore using the prison building to represent the crime and the punishment which are aspect of civilized lifeWhat is the implication of the description of the ros

15、es?The rosebush symbolizes the ability of nature to endure and outlast man's activities. The narrator suggests that roses offer a reminder of Nature's kindness to the condemned; for his tale, he says, it will provide either a “sweet moral blossom” or else some relief in the face of unrelenti

16、ng sorrow and gloom.2.Describe the appearance of Hester Prynne and the attitude of the people towards her.The second paragraph on page 30.The crowd in front of the jail is a mixture of men and women, all maintaining severe looks of disapproval. Several of the women begin to discuss Hester Prynne, an

17、d they soon vow that Hester would not have received such a light sentence for her crime if they had been the judges. One woman, the ugliest of the group, goes so far as to advocate death for Hester. 3.What has happened to Hester? As a young woman, Hester married an elderly scholar, Chillingworth, wh

18、o sent her ahead to America to live. While waiting for him, she had an affair with a Puritan minister named Dimmesdale, after which she gave birth to Pearl. The scarlet letter is her punishment for her sin and her secrecy. Why does she make the embroidery of the letter A so elaborate?It seems to dec

19、lare that she is proud, rather than ashamed, of her sin. In reality, however, Hester simply accepts the “sin” and its symbol as part of herself, just as she accepts her child. And although she can hardly believe her present “realities,” she takes them as they are rather than resisting them or trying

20、 to atone for them.How does this tell us about her character?Throughout The Scarlet Letter Hester is portrayed as an intelligent, capable. It is the extraordinary circumstances shaping her that make her such an important figure.Unit5 Herman MelvilleQuestions1.What are the stories Ismael tells about

21、Moby Dick?Ishmael compares the legend of Moby Dick to his experience of the whale. He notes that sperm whale attacks have increased recently and that superstitious sailors have come to regard these attacks as having an intelligent, even supernatural origin. In particular, wild rumors about Moby Dick

22、 circulate among whalemen, suggesting that he can be in more than one place at the same time and that he is immortal. Ishmael remarks that even the wildest of rumors usually contains some truth. Whales, for instance, have been known to travel with remarkable speed from the Atlantic to the Pacific; t

23、hus, it is possible for a whale to be caught in the Pacific with the harpoons of a Greenland ship in it.Moby Dick, who has defied capture numerous times, exhibits an “intelligent malignity”（狠毒） in his attacks on men2.Why does Ahab react so violently against the white whale?First, he lost one of his

24、legs because of the white whale.Second,He considers Moby Dick the embodiment of evil in the world, and he pursues the White Whale，because he believes it his inescapable fate to destroy this evil.Ishmael suggests that Ahab is “crazy”and call him “a raving lunatic.” Do you agree with him? Why or why n

25、ot?Ishmael describes Ahab as mad in his narration, and it does indeed seem mad to try to fight the forces of nature or God. 3.What narrative features can you find in the selected chapter?In the selected charpter, Melville employed the technique of multiple view of his narrative to portray Moby Dick

26、to achieve the effect of ambiguity and let readers judge the meaning.Unit 6 Henry David ThoreauQuestions1.Where indeed did Thoreau live, both at a physical level and at a spiritual level?He lived in a cabin on Walden Pond, which belonged to Emersons property.2.Had Thoreau ever bought a farm? Why did

27、 he enjoy the act of buying?No, he hadnt. He avoided purchasing a farm because it would inevitably tie him down financially and complicate his life. Thoreau didnt see the acquisition of wealth as the goal for human existence, he saw the goal of life to be an exploration of the mind and of the magnif

28、icent world around us. He regarded the places as an existence free of obligations and full of leisure.3.Is it significant that Thoreau mentioned the Fourth of July as the day on which he began to stay in the woods? Why?Yes, it is.Because The Fourth of July is known as Independence Day,the birthday o

29、t the United States.Here Thoreau uses the day to express his beginning of  regeneration at Walden.It also means a symbol of his conquest of being. 4.How could you answer the question Thoreau asked at the end of this selection?Unit 7 19th Century American Poets 1. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

30、 (1) I Shot an Arrow 1. Why did the speaker lose sight of his arrow and song? The arrow flies too swiftly and too far away to be seen by the speaker; whereas the song is naturally invisible. 2. In what circumstances did he find them again? He finds them unexpectedly years later from the trunk of a t

31、ree and the heart of a friend. 3. What do arrow and song stand for in this poem? The images of arrow and song here may stand for friendship. (2) A Psalm of Life 1. What kind of person is the speaker of this poem? The speaker is a man of action, always optimistic and cheerful, trying to achieve as mu

32、ch as possible in the short span of life. 2. According to the poem, how should our lives be led to overcome the fact that each day brings us nearer to death? We should work harder and live happier. 3. Interpret the metaphor of "Footprints on the sand of time" (line 28). The metaphor refers

33、 to human deeds in real life. 2. Walt Whitman (1)One's Self I Sing 1. What is the significance of singing about one's self? It is an exaltation of the individual spirit, which is typical of American people. 2. What is the difference between physiology and physiognomy? Physiology is a science

34、 that deals with the functions and life process of human beings, whereas physiognomy refers to an art of judging character from contours of face itself or the appearance of a person. 3. What does Whitman mean by the term of "the Modern Man"? He means that a man should be free from any prej

35、udice and pride, totally different from the traditional one, that is full of bias. (3) O Captain! My Captain! 1. Why is the word "Captain" capitalized throughout the poem? In this poem the word “Captain” specially refers to Abraham Lincoln, president of the United States. 2. What overall m

36、etaphor does the poet employ in this poem? Life is a journey. 3. Why do people on the shores exult and bells ring, while the speaker remains so sad? They welcome the ship returning from its hard trip, whereas the speaker is sad because the captain fails to receive his own honor. 3.Emily Dickinson (1

37、) To Make a Prairie 1. What things are needed to "make" a prairie? In what sense can one really do it? Some grass and insects and small animals. People can make a prairie with their imagination. 2. How can "revery alone" create a prairie? The prairie stays in one's mind. (2)

38、Success Is Counted Sweetest 1. Why is success "counted sweetest by those who ne'er succeed"? Those who have tasted the bitterness of failure would have a keener desire for success. 2. Who are "the purple host"? The so-called successful people in the world. 3. Who is "he&

39、quot; in the last stanza? Anyone who is pursuing his success. (3) I'm Nobody! 1. Who are the "pair of us" and "they" in this poem? The "pair of us" refers to the speaker in the poem and the reader, and "they" refers to the public, especially those in power

40、. 2. What does "an admiring bog" really mean?" (line 28). It Implies the vain and empty common people, who are always admiring and pursuing the celebrities. 3. What is the theme of this poem? The real admirable life is a secluded and common one. 4. Do you want to be "nobody"

41、 or "somebody"? Explain your reasons. Different persons would have different answers to this question. Personally, I prefer to be nobody.Unit 8 Mark TwainQuestions1: Why do you think Mr.Wheeler is so eager to tell these stories? From Mr.Wheelers behaviors and contents of his narration we c

42、an know he is so eager to tell these stories.First, when "I" asked him to tell "me" something about W.Smiley, he “ backed me into a corner and blockaded me with his chair, and then sat down and reeled off the narrative”. And during the process of telling his stories, he never pai

43、d any attention to others'response to his story and just went on telling what amused him. At last when the listener felt boring and wanted to leave, Mr.Wheeler even didn't notice it and still asked him to sit there listening to him. Question2: Does his audience share his enthusiasm in tellin

44、g the stories? No. the audience does not show any interest in Mr.Wheeler stories. In fact, the narrator was very feverish about his stories, but ,in the eyes of the listener,the stories were very boring and had nothing to do with his preoccupation. As an educated man, the listener couldn't under

45、stand the way of laborers for joy, and he would never bother himself to understand it. So after the long time of Mr.Wheeler solo narration and when the audience got a chance, he fled away. Question3: Do you think the narrator and his listener ever suspect the presence of humor? Why? How do you inter

46、pret their interactions? The narrator and his listener never noticed or suspected the presence of humor.During the intercourse,the narrator went vigorously on his monotonous narrative "wihout a little smiling" talking about the animals and the things like ,while the listener felt rather pu

47、zzled or bothered by his stories.It seemed to be kind of coarse things. So the two different scenes go on separately without a intersection.And their interaction was a complete failure according toour common sense about communication.But it in this sense produced the effect of humor which can be tas

48、ted by our readers due to the skills adopted by Mark Twain .Unit 14 F·Scott Fitzgerald1.Do you think Gatsby deserves to be called “the great”? Why? （1）I think it is too complicated to simply say Gatsby deserves to be great or not.For one thing, Gatsby was ambitious, hardworking, generous and pa

49、ssionate. He was so extremely loyal to his love and Daisy that he could do anything to get Daisy back: he did shady business to earn money and social position; he threw luxurious parties just to draw Daisys attention; he could take the blame for a death that he did not cause.（2）In this respect, he i

50、s much greater than his contemporaries. For another thing, Gatsby never realized that Daisy wasnt the girl he loved anymore. Gatsby was so innocent that he staked everything on his dreams, not realizing that his dreams are unworthy of him. He wasnt sober enough to be great. 2.Does “the green light”

51、Gatsby believed in exist in reality? Why or why not ? （1）I think the green light does not exist in reality. Because the green light which situated at the end of Daisys East Egg dock and barely visible from West Egg lawn represents Gatsbys unattainable dream. Although the color itself can be seen as

52、hope and bright future, Gatsbys quest for Daisy back is doomed to be impossible. Daisy lived in a material world without being real, where poor ghosts, breathing dream like air.（2）After five years when Gatsby met Daisy again, the miracle Daisy had lost her original glory. Therefore, there is no dela

53、ying that Gatsbys dream would not come true. In the novel, the green light not only represents that innocent Gatsby looked forward to the future, but also means his longing for the history his happy past with Daisy. The distinction between ideal and reality was huge. As if American dream between gol

54、den past and golden future always suffered from the realistic betrayal and crush. 3.What does Gatsbys Schedule reveal about him and how does it relate to the American Dream? （1）The schedule is a reflection of Gatsbys determination and ambition. It reveals that he is hard on himself in pursuit of his

55、 goalto be an upper-class man.（2）On one hand, we can know that he is persistent in pursuing his American Dream- to attain wealth and happiness through his struggle. On the other hand, he is too idealistic and naive.（3）He tries his best to make money and learns everything required to be an upper-clas

56、s man so that he can get access to his beloved girl.Money is important，but there are other barriers difficult to penetrate. The girl he loves is as vulgar and superficial as others in her circle, she is unable to meets Gatsbys romantic fantasy. So his dream is destined to shatter, which indicates th

57、e disillusion of American Dream. 4.When you read the line “He (the man with owl-eyed glasses) took off his glasses and wiped them again, outside and in ,” what images does it create in your mind, given the novels numerous references to the strikingly strange scene of the spectacled eyes? （1）From thi

58、s line , superficially, owl-eyes is a person with thick and blurry glasses who can not see clearly all the things in the world. However, we know he is actually an owl-wise observer and sees more clearly than anyone else in the novel. Owl-Eyes, except Nick, is the only friend to appear at the rain-so

59、aked burial of Gatsby, when others are unwilling to come. He feels sympathy for Gatsbys tragedy.（2）After reading this line, I cannot help thinking of the Dr.Eckleburg billboard with its huge yellow spectacles in this novel. In many rainy days, Dr. Eckleburgs eyes are also dimmed and seem blind. But in fact this is a pair of "all-seeing" eyes. The Owl-Eyed Man is similar to Dr. Eckleburg, sadly looking at the peoples lif