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 FranklinQuestionsdid 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 would like

2、to repeat it 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.did he arrive in Philadeph

3、ia ？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 o clock, on the Sunday morning and landed at the Mar

4、ket Street wharf.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 PoeQuestionsis the narrator What wrong does he want

5、 to redress ？Montresor.Fortunato,one of wine experts insulted him, so he wanted to murder him.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 valuable sherry wine.Fortunato is anxio

6、us to determine whether or not it is truly Amontillado, so he goes to the vault with Montresor. happens to Fortunato in the end ？He was walled up alive behind bricks in a wine cellar.briefly how Poe characterizes Montresor and Fortunato as contrasts ？Poe uses color imagery to characterize them. Mont

7、resor 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 Fortunato's death sentence.Through the acts, words, an

8、d 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 was cheated by his enemy, which reflected his ignorance.When h

9、e heard the pretended compliment from Montresor, he became very boastful and arrogant.He was easily confused by the superfici al phenomena and failed to watch out for others. He couldn t toleratethat others were stronger than him.For example, Montresor always stimulated him with Luchresi who was goo

10、d at connoisseur （鉴赏）in wine.Under the impulse of vanity, he fell into Montre sor s terrible trap.In fact, he was careless and foolish and didn t find that the danger was approaching him.He looked down upon Montresor and others.He didn t realize his foolishness until the death was coming.Talking fro

11、m 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.Under his rich appearance was the dirty soul and despicable charac

12、ter.We couldn t 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 : is the prison the setting of Chapter 1No matter how optimistic the founders of new colonies may be, they

13、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 original sin the notionthat all people are born sinners because of the initi

14、al 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 roses ？The rosebush symbolizes the ability of nature to endure and outlast

15、man's activities.The narrator suggests that roses offer a reminder of Nature's kindness to the condemned; for his tale, he says, itwill provide either a “ sweet moral blossom ” or else some relief in the face of unrelenting sorrow and gloom.the appearance of Hester Prynne and the attitude of

16、 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, and they soon vow that Hester would not have receivedsuch a light sentence for her cr

17、ime if they had been the judges.One woman, the ugliest of the group, goes so far as to advocate death for Hester.has happened to HesterAs a young woman, Hester married an elderly scholar, Chillingworth, who sent her ahead to America to live.While waiting for him, she had an affair with a Puritan min

18、ister named Dimmesdale, after which she gave birth toPearl.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 declare that she is proud, rather than ashamed, of her sin.In reality, however, Hester simply accepts

19、 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 to atone for them.How does this tell us about her character ？Throughout The Scarlet Letter Heste

20、r is portrayed as an intelligent, capable. It is the extraordinary circumstances shaping her that make her such an important figure.Unit5 Herman MelvilleQuestionsare the stories Ismael tells about Moby Dick ？Ishmael compares the legend of Moby Dick to his experience of the whale.He notes that sperm

21、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 circulate among whalemen, suggesting that he can be in more than one place at the same time and that he

22、 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; thus, it is possible for a whale to be caught in the Pacific with the harpoons of a Greenland ship in it.M

23、oby Dick, who has defied capture numerous times, exhibits an“ intelligent毒aiignityhis attacks on mendoes Ahab react so violently against the white whale ？First, he lost one of his legs because of the white whale.Second,He considers Moby Dick the embodiment of evil in the world, and he pursues the Wh

24、ite Whale ， because he believes it his inescapable fate to destroy this evil.Ishmael suggests that Ahab is “ crazy ” and call him “ a raving lunatic.ith him” WhDyooyrowuhaygnreoet w？Ishmael describes Ahab as mad in his narration, and it does indeed seem mad to try to fight the forces of nature or Go

25、d.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 Dickto achieve the effect of ambiguity and let readers judge the meaning.Unit 6 Henry David ThoreauQuestionsindeed did Thoreau live,

26、both at a physical level and at a spiritual level ？He lived in a cabin on Walden Pond, which belonged to Emerson s property.Thoreau ever bought a farm Why did he enjoy the act of buying ？No, he hadn t.He avoided purchasing a farm because it would inevitably tie him down financially and complicate hi

27、s life.Thoreau didn t 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 magnificent world around us.He regarded the places as an existence free of obligations and full of leisure.it significant that Thoreau mentioned th

28、e 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 ot 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.cou

29、ld you answer the question Thoreau asked at the end of this selectionUnit 7 19th Century American Poets1. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow(1) I Shot an Arrow1. Why did the speaker lose sight of his arrow and songThe arrow flies too swiftly and too far away to be seen by the speaker; whereas the song is na

30、turally invisible.2. In what circumstances did he find them againHe finds them unexpectedly years later from the trunk of a tree and the heart of a friend.3. What do arrow and song stand for in this poemThe images of arrow and song here may stand for friendship.(2) A Psalm of Life1. What kind of per

31、son is the speaker of this poemThe speaker is a man of action, always optimistic and cheerful, trying to achieve as much 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 deathWe should work harder and l

32、ive happier.3. Interpret the metaphor of "Footprints on the sand of time" (line 28).The metaphor refers to human deeds in real life.2. Walt Whitman(1)One's Self I Sing1. What is the significance of singing about one's selfIt is an exaltation of the individual spirit, which is typic

33、al of American people.2. What is the difference between physiology and physiognomyPhysiology is a science 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

34、Whitman mean by the term of "the Modern Man"He means that a man should be free from any prejudice 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 poemIn this poem the wor

35、d “ Captain ” specially refers to Abraham Lincoln, president of the United States.2. What overall metaphor does the poet employ in this poemLife is a journey.3. Why do people on the shores exult and bells ring, while the speaker remains so sadThey welcome the ship returning from its hard trip, where

36、as the speaker is sad because the captain fails to receive his own honor.Dickinson(1) To Make a Prairie 1. What things are needed to "make" a prairie In what sense can one really do itSome grass and insects and small animals. People can make a prairie with their imagination.2. How can &quo

37、t;revery alone" create a prairieThe prairie stays in one's mind.(2) Success Is Counted Sweetest1. 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

38、"The so-called successful people in the world.3. Who is "he" in the last stanzaAnyone 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

39、 "they" refers to the public, especially those in power.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 poemThe real admirable life is a seclu

40、ded and common one.4. Do you want to be "nobody" 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 is so eager to tell these storiesFrom s behaviors a

41、nd contents of his narration we can know he is so eager to tell these , when "I" asked him to tell "me" something about , he“ backed me into a corner and blockaded mehwisitchhair, and then sat downand reeled off the narrative ” An.d during the process of telling his stories, he n

42、ever paid 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, even didn't notice it and still asked him to sit there listening to him.Question2: Does his audience share his enthusiasm in telling th

43、e stories No. the audience does not show any interest in stories. In fact, the narrator was very fevehriasbout 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 understand the way of

44、laborers for joy, and he would never bother himself to understand it. So after the long time of 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 interpret their interactions The nar

45、rator and his listener never noticed or suspected the presence of 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 puzzled or bothered by his seemed to be kind of

46、 coarse things. So the two different scenes go on separately without a their interaction was a complete failure according toour common sense about it in this sense produced the effect of humor which can be tasted by our readers due to the skills adopted by Mark Twain .Unit 14 F Scott Fitzgeraldyou t

47、hink Gatsby deserves to be called “ the great ” Why(1) I think it is too complicated to simply say Gatsby deserves to be great II or one thing, Gatsby was ambitious, hardworking, generous and passionate. He was so extremely loyal to his love and Daisy that he could do anything to get Daisy back: he

48、did shady business to earn money and social position; he threw luxurious parties just to draw Daisy s attention; he could take the blame for a death that he did not cause.(2) In this respect, he is much greater II than his contemporaries. For another thing, Gatsby never realized that Daisy wasn t th

49、e 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 wasn t sober enough to be great.“ the green light ” Gatsby believed in exist in realityWhy or why not（ 1） I think the green light II does not exist in realit

50、y. Because the green light which situated at the end ofDaisy s East Egg dock and barely visible from West Egg lawn represents Gatsby s unattainable dream. Althoughthe color itself can be seen as hope and bright future, Gatsby s quest for Daisy back is doomed to be impossible.Daisy lived in arimaworl

51、d without being real, where poor ghosts, breathing dream like air II .（ 2） After five years when Gatsby met Daisy again, the miracle Daisy had lost her original glory. Therefore, thereis no delaying that Gatsby s dream would not come true. In the novel, the green light not only represents that innoc

52、ent Gatsby looked forward to the future, but also means his longing for the history-his happy past withDaisy. The distinction between ideal and reality was huge. As if American dream between golden past and golden future always suffered from the realistic betrayal and crush.does Gatsby s Schedule re

53、veal about him and how does it relate to the American Dream（ 3） ） The schedule is a reflection of Gatsby s determination and ambition. It reveals that he is hard on himself in pursuit of his goal to be an upper-class man.（ 4） On one hand, we can know that he is persistent in pursuing his American Dr

54、eam- to attain wealth and happiness through his struggle. On the other hand, he is too idealistic and naive.（ 5） He tries his best to make money and learns everything required to be an upper-class man so that he can get access to his beloved is important ， but there are other barriers difficult to p

55、enetrate. The girl he loves is as vulgar and superficial as others in her circle, she is unable to meets Gatsby s romantic fantasy. So his dream is destined to shatter, which indicates the disillusion of American Dream.you read the line “ He （the man with-eoywedl glasses） took off his glasses and wi

56、ped them again, outside and in , ” what images doescirteate in your mind, given the novel s numerous references to the strikingly strange scene of the spectacled eyes（ 6） ） From this line , superficially, owl-eyes is a person with thick and blurry glasses who can not see clearly all the things in th

57、e 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-soaked burial of Gatsby, when others are unwilling to come. He feels sympathy for Gatsby s tragedy.（ 7） ） After reading t

58、his line, I cannot help thinking of the billboard with its huge yellow spectacles in this novel.In many rainy days, Dr. Eckleburg s 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 peopl

59、e s life and idealism of this time.Both of them symbolize an uninvolved spectator god. They watch all the activities of the humans. Owl-eyes is the avatar of the sightless Dr. Eckleburg.Unit 16 Ernest Hemingway1. How do you interpret the irony of the title after reading the storyshould b（1） The title A Clean Well-Lighted Place II refers to the caf e in the text. The caf e was very clean and well- lighted. From the