Fiction / Myth



I. Fiction / MythTitlePage #Question“The World on Turtle’s Back”32From this myth, what can you infer about the Iroquois’ beliefs about good and evil?“Coyote and the Buffalo”44This is a trickster tale (as defined on page forty-three). These tales often serve to teach a lesson or moral. What does this trickster tale teach?“The Devil and Tom Walker”312What make the character Tom Walker ironic?“The Fall of the House of Usher”404Poe uses elaborate language in this short story. How would the mood be changed if simple language were used?“The Masque of the Red Death”428There are many symbols in this story. Identify one and explicate it.“The Minister’s Black Veil”458The minister is an ambiguous character: he can be seen as an innocent victim of others’ fears or as a man driven to isolate himself, convinced of his own moral superiority. Choose one of these positions and defend it.“An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge”582Citing at least two examples from the story, explain how the shifts in point of view affect the level of suspense.“The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County”660What inference(s) can you make about Jim Smiley based on his gamboling? Use examples of Smiley’s behavior in your answer.“The Outcasts of Poker Flat”674Harte was known for portraying outcast characters with hearts of gold. How does John Oakhurst fit this formula of a character with contradictory traits?“A Wagner Matinee”694There are two contrasting settings in this story. What do they each symbolize?“The Open Boat”713The sea is the antagonist in Crane’s story. Are the men saved primarily by their own efforts or by chance? “The Law of Life”746What does the old bull moose symbolize? What theme does this symbol suggest?“The Story of an Hour”760The plot of “The Story of an Hour” is driven by Mrs. Mallard’s inner conflict. Describe her conflict; then explain how this secret inner struggle sets up the story’s surprise ending.“The Yellow Wallpaper”768The yellow wallpaper in this story could symbolize many things. Name at least two.“Winter Dreams”937Locate one or more images in “Winter Dreams” that successfully convey the emotional intensity of Dexter and Judy’s entanglements. Explain how each example achieves this purpose.“April Showers”792Reread lines fifty-two through seventy-five. How does Wharton’s tone let reader know that Theodora might not be the “great author” she thinks herself to be?“In Another Country”970What different meanings can be made of the title of this short story? Discuss at least two.“A Worn Path”1004Explain the literary allusion of the main character’s name, Phoenix. Why is this allusion appropriate?“A Rose for Emily”1020What is the mood of “A Rose for Emily”?“The Life You Save May Be Your Own”1034What is the significance of the story’s title, taken from a road sign?“Adam”1124The title of this short story can be seen as a biblical allusion. Identify it and explain its significance.“Ambush”1138The title of this short story has multiple meanings. Identify and explicate at least two.II. NonfictionTitlePage #Questionfrom The Way to Rainy Mountain52What does Momaday’s account of the Kiowa’s migration offer you that a description in a history book might not?from of Plymouth Plantation100How might a Wampanoag historian’s version of events differ from Bradford’s? Choose an episode from Of Plymouth Plantation and cite specific details that might change to reflect this differing perspective.“Speech in the Virginia Convention”226Henry spends most of his speech arguing against hope, ordinarily not the best tactics when trying to inspire an audience. How and why does he take this tactic?from Walden372Thoreau rejects many things as unessential or unimportant. What is important to him?from “Civil Disobedience”382A paradox is a statement that seems to contradict itself but may nevertheless suggest an important truth. Find and explicate a paradox in this essay.from Woman in the Nineteenth Century396Why might Fuller have chosen to present her views as a dialogue between herself and the fictional Miranda, instead of stating her beliefs outright?from Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave538What do the conflicts between Douglass and Covey reveal about slavery’s effects on both slaves and masters?from Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl552The author’s purpose is to further the cause of abolitionism. How might the knowledge that she was writing for an audience of Northern white women have influenced her characterizations?“The Emancipation Proclamation”566Read page 562 and the historical background on pages 564 and 566. What political pressures influenced Lincoln’s public statements?“How It Feels to Be Colored Me”860What is the tone of this essay? What point does Hurston make by choosing this tone to discuss the subject of race?“A New Kind of War”1050Hemingway’s article differs greatly from an objective news report. What is he able to convey through his subjective style?from Survival in Auschwitz1132Identify and explicate an example of irony in this excerpt.from “Letter from Birmingham Jail”1146Name an allusion which King uses to invoke democratic ideals. Explain how and why King uses this allusion.from Coming of Age in Mississippi1182Consider what you learn about Moody’s character and private life from the account. What factors contributed to her decision to take action?“My Dungeon Shook: Letter to My Nephew on the One Hundredth Anniversary of the Emancipation”1194Baldwin addressed this open letter to his fifteen-year-old nephew but published it in his book The Fire Next Time. Which would you consider to be the primary audience?“Mother Tongue”1204What is the main idea of the essay?“In Search of Our Mother’s Gardens”1216Consider the conclusion of Walker’s essay. Explain what Walker means by her reference to Phillis Wheatley’s mother and how this reference expresses the message of Walker’s essay.“Straw into Gold: The Metamorphosis of the Everyday”1224Identify and explicate the allusion to “Rumplestiltskin” in this essay.”III. PoetryTitlePage #Question“The Tide Rises, The Tide Falls”338What is being contrasted in this poem? “Old Ironsides”344What change in attitude does the speaker have?“The Raven”438What change in tone and attitude does the speaker have over the course of the poem?from “Song of Myself”512What does grass symbolize in this poem?“Because I could not stop for Death-”526Identify and explicate the personification in this poem. “I heard a Fly buzz – when I died-”531Identify the simile in this poem. What is being compared and why is the comparison appropriate?“Go Down, Moses”561Identify the Biblical allusion in this poem. Why is it appropriate?“Harlem”840What social or political consequences are hinted at in the poem’s last line?“My City”848Identify and explicate the use of personification in “My City.”“Any Human to Another”854What is the theme of this poem?“Richard Cory”882Explain the irony in this poem.“Miniver Cheevy”884How does the last line change the poem?“Chicago”890How does personification in this poem affect the tone?“Acquainted with the Night”898Recognize ambiguity: reread the last stanzas. What two meanings could these stanzas have?“Recuerdo”926What is the tone of this poem?“Testimonial”1240What can you infer about the speaker’s age and state of mind?“Forgetfulness”1245Identify one or more instances of personification in this poem. How does it add to the poem? ................
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