Survey
of American literary history – Exam Questions
Name
three characteristics of Christopher Columbus’ writing.
Main
characters in his writing: nature, place
Very
subjective impressions
Compares
familiar things to unfamiliar things
Has
great awareness for need of justification
Impressions
were positive
Every
little thing was written down
What
is noteworthy of the rhetorical style of Cabeza de Vaca’s Relacion
(Schilderung)?
His
story shows opposite of colonialism-idea:
civilized people came to uncivilized people and they rescued him
but he can’t write that, because that mean, they don’t need
colonialism
He
claimed two sides:
He
had no chance to tell the uncivilized people sth, because they
didn’t want to hear
He
claimed a harmonious life between settlers and natives is possible
He
wanted to manipulate his story, because he wanted to hit the road
He
wrote one text for king and queen to make them happy and between the
lines he wrote the truth
Please
offer a definition of a captivity narrative and one example in early
American literature.
Captivity
narratives are stories of people captured by "uncivilized"
enemies. The narratives often include a theme of redemption by faith
in the face of the threats and temptations of an alien way of life.
“Narrative
of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson” by Mary
Rowlandson
“The
History of Maria Kittle” by Ann Eliza Bleecker
Please
name two tenets (Grundsätze) of the Puritan faith that are
exhibited in William Bradford’s Of Plymouth Plantation.
God
brought people to America
When
people died on Mayflower or got ill, they didn’t trust in this
project and this was God’s punishment.
Pilgrims
had way to show new model of community because of their experiences.
Colonization
of America = failed utopia
People
must bear each other’s burden, no private identity
What
is a platonic world view and how does it relate to the Salem Witch
trials?
PLATONIC
WORLD VIEW is a Puritan world view in which spiritual and earthly
spheres overlap. This means that what happens on Earth has an impact
on the spiritual world and vice versa. For Puritans that meant that
what Gods do in spiritual world people feel on Earth, and everything
bad that happens (storms, health, economy) comes from the spiritual
world. According to that, their law worked out of fear that devil
might occur, so if everyone agreed on something – that was the
truth – a scientific proof. Here America became dystopia from
utopia and Salem Witch trials show that change.
Please
offer a definition of the “Great Awakening” and name an author
who purported (behaupten) this idea.
The
title Great Awakening is usually applied to the many revivals among
Protestants which occurred in the American colonies between 1725 and
1776. Experiences
of ecstatic joy and release, converts "awakened" to Christ
and knew him experientially. It was spread by wandering preachers
who advocated personal responsibility in the interpretation of the
Bible, but scholars locate the origin with the preaching of Jonathan
Edwards.
Jonathan
Ewards, Cotton Mather, John Winthrop
(JONATHAN
EDWARDS was one of the primary figures of the Great Awakening – an
idea that unless people changed their personal behavior radically,
the society will die out, it will be destroyed. This also had
economic effects – people started working, because they thought if
they were rich they would be good for the society (beginning of
capitalism in America).)
In
the 1630 sermon “A model of Christian Charity”, John Winthrop
speaks of a “City upon a hill” – please explain the
significance of this term.
John
Winthrop used the phrase "City upon a Hill" to describe the
new settlement, with the eyes of all people upon them. And with those
words, he laid a foundation for a new world. These new settlers
certainly represented a new destiny for this land. America is “God’s
Country” and the rest of the world looks for guidance by America,
he claimed. (American Exceptionalism)
How
is Thomas Paine’s take on religion different from John Winthrop’s?
Thomas
Paine believed in God, but not in the bible. He believed that there
is no need for a mediator between God and mankind (church). The
relationship with god is personal, he claimed. “My own mind is my
own church”.
John
Winthrop instead was a strong believer in God, bible and church.
America was the City of God, he said. Winthrop was very puritan. For
him community and church had absolute priority.
(Paine
says that the religion is a personal thing, which marks the beginning
of religious freedom, whereas by Winthrop community has absolute
priority and there is no individuality in religion.)
What
is the relationship between the Salem Witch trials and Arthur
Miller’s contemporary play The Crucible?
Arthur
Miller described in his play The Crucible the 1950/60 politics of
America by using the content of the Salem Witch trials. The McCarthy
era was a culture of fear which can be traced out to other historical
events like the one in Salem. Everyone who was “un-American” was
persecuted, like communists and gay people. Related to the Witch
trials where everyone who was different was persecuted.
Please
name two political texts (speeches, declarations) that were
influenced by the American Declaration of Independence.
“I
have a dream” – Martin Luther King
“What
to the slave is the 4th
of July?” – Frederick Douglass
Which
political sentiment (Meinungen) did the loyalist’s ballads of the
late 18th century express?
They
had a very clear sense, that the British government was
incorruptible. The true British hearts you never can alarm
they don’t even care what you do, they’re so strong; poor fools
that want to have their own country.
Please
name three features that describe the literary tone of the
Declaration of Independence.
highly
elevated discourse, almost majestic
complex,
but not obscure
confident
tone (they knew what they wanted)
In
his “Letters from an American Farmer”, Hector St. John de
Crevecoeur poses an important question about American identity –
which question is that?
“What
is an American?” (Leaving behind old prejudices/ideas and adopting
new ones. Everyone who comes to America can contribute something to
it, and make it a greater country.)
What
is the significance of Hannah Webster Foster’s The Coquette in
relation to the young American nation?
The
Coquette was important for the young American nation because it was
teaching the women how to behave and 60% of the population was under
17 years old. Most novels came from Britain and those were love
stories that young women read. Foster thought that women have to be
educated (not to read those books and act upon them as Elisa did),
because they will raise the next generation –the future of America.
Which
elements make up the Emersonian triangle?
The
Emersonian triangle is made up by the elements: God, Human and
Nature.
These 3
components are not equal but they have a very defined relationship
amongst each other.
Name
two authors that were influenced by Ralph Waldo Emerson’s Nature
and name their idea of nature.
Henry
David Thoreau: Thoreau believes that the highest law is not that
created by men, but that which is ordained by nature. Any deviation
from the patterns established in the natural world will only
distract man from his true nature. His ideal person is
self-sufficient, build own house, cook own food etc. Then you’re
fit for society. As an experiment Thoreau’s text offers and
alternative society. What he sees in Nature is what he also sees in
human.
Walt
Whitman: Nature shows as a template how to live a meaningful life.
Whitman alludes that as much as we may alienate ourselves from the
natural world, we cannot escape our connection to it; we were born
of dust, he reminds the reader, and to dust we will return, becoming
one with nature. Nature is Whitman’s religion; more than any
man-made institution, the laws by which man can and should live are
plainly visible in the natural world
Name
three aspects of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s observations about nature
(these are also sub-chapter titles of his Nature)
Commodity
(Rohstoff)
Beauty
Language
Spirit
What,
according to Ralph Waldo Emerson, is and “over-soul”?
He
claimed that the universe is guided by some form of over-soul.
Something that is omnipresent and influential at all time. A “deism”.
That God is there but not in the Christian bible way.
Please
describe Henry David Thoreau’s idea of an ideal government as
portrayed in his “Resistance to Civil Government”.
“The
government is best which governs the least”. He claimed that there
should be a government that allows the individual (every person –
black and white) the maximum freedom. Under a government that doesn’t
accept individual freedom, everyone is in jail. Civil disobedience
(Ungehorsam) as an important contribution to the government is what
he asks of the Americans.
In
what way does the Whitman catalogue support the idea of democracy?
Whitman
writes poems that adopt a democratic style of literature or of a
text. He packs many ideas that all stand on the same level, as if he
was describing the same thing from different angles.
Please
name three early short story authors.
Washington
Irving
Edgar
Allen Poe
Herman
Melville
Please
explain the rise of the American short story in the 19th century.
The
rise began, because there was no copyright-agreement between Europe
and America. Every book that was published in Europe could be very
cheaply published in the states. Cheap reprints of European books
rushed the American market. People spent a lot of money on
newspapers. In the entertainment-section of these newspapers usually
short stories appeared. The American short story became so popular
because it was the only way to circulate literature in America. Those
short stories were the texts that reached the everyday reader in
America.
What
is Fanny Fern’s “Hints to young wives” about?
This
piece demonstrates the intimacy in which Fern speaks to her reader.
Fern’s style is simple. She uses common diction and short
sentences to mimic conversational tone. “Hints to Young Wives”
is about a woman desperately trying to warn young wives about their
sneaky husbands. For example: When her husband asked her to sew his
coat, she did, although she had a terrible headache. Then she found
out that he was having an affair. If she wasn’t a good housewife,
she wouldn’t have found out this.
Please
name two important emancipatory movements on the mid-19th century.
Suffrage
Movement
Abolitionism
Movement
What
does Frederick Douglas state about the significance of the 4th July
for the African American population?
He
stated that the inclusion within the educational systems for African
American was a more pressing need. For Douglass 4th
of July was a moment of hypocrisy. He reminds the Americans that they
are forgetting a few things that happened in the past. He asked “When
do slaves celebrate the 4th
of July?” If the 4th
of July is for some people happiness and for others bitterness, so
the country isn’t united.
Please
name two virtues (Tugenden
in Bezug auf Häuslichkeit) comprised
in the cult of domesticity.
Chastity
Piety
Please
name three contact zones in the mid-19th
century.
gold
rush
immigration
civil
war
???
How
does Mark Twain’s use of the vernacular (Mundart)
appear
in his “Jim Smiley and the Jumping Frog”?
It
appears through the character of Simon Weeler from South West, who
uses a not very refined language, slang and words and phrases are
vernacular.
Who
was the first African American woman to speak about the lives of
black women?
Gertrude
Bonin
How
are Gertrude Bonin’s and Mary Antin’s description of the
American school system different from each other?
Antin
describes immigration to America and the school experience as a very
positive experience and in her description becoming Americanized is
the overall goal. Bonin describes how children had to suffer to
become Americanized, because they had to forget the Native American
culture. Even after they were more or less Americans, for white
people they still looked like Native Americans.
What
is Henry James’ idea about the difference between Europe and
America and how does this play out in his “Daisy Miller”?
For
Henry James the European culture and the American culture are very
similar but have great differences, too. In the story we get the
sense that it was perfectly ok to behave the way she did in NY but
NOT in Europe. Cultural Clashes – The relationship between
Winterborn and Daisy is a contact zone, too. In all of these contact
zones we have a very clear American national culture in contact with
either a different (European) culture or with one of the cultures
within the Nation state.
What
is the “agit-prop” theatre?
Agit-prop
is short for 'agitated propoganda'. It's a type of theatre used to
'agitate' the public into action about a certain political or social
issue. For instance, in protest against waterboarding (torture used
by the US), activists dressed up as prisoners and renacted (safely)
waterboarding in front of political venues.
What
is the function of Gertrude Stein’s use of extensive repetition in
The Making of Americans?
For
Stein the repetition was a question of historical accuracy. To use
specific words and repeat them over and over again makes the reader
aware of the implied historical importance that language carries.
In
which way does Robert Frost’s “The road not taken” offer a
reflection of modernism?
Frost
says that there is no logical explanation to make the best choice and
the situation will also never be the same again. Symbolic meaning of
the fork that he gave was his observation of life - people always
have to choose between one thing or another and never know which is
the right one. It is the same as in modernist understanding of life -
it can only go either “this” way or “that” way.
Explain
the concept of a “double consciousness” and locate it within the
writing of its author.
“Double
consciousness” means that with slavery as an institution the soul
of black folks – which is the title of W.E.DeBois’s text – has
been compromised and the result is the following: when black people
look at themselves, they always see what white society sees in them.
He says that black population was basically brainwashed and their
confidence and strength was taken away. A white person would never be
able to understand this double identity that he sees in black folks.
An American – A negro – two thoughts – two worrying ideas in
one dark body.
What
is the main idea towards civil resistance in Up from Slavery and how
does it influence Martin Luther King?
Washington’s
intention was to increase through values black roles in the United
States shortly after slavery. The first and most important theme is
the value of education.
A
second important theme is the dignity of work. Booker firmly believed
that no education was complete without learning a trade. He believed
that there was tremendous value in work and that his race would never
rise up without being able to work a trade in their communities.
That
influenced MLK. He believed that once the colour-line becomes
distinct – black and white will be in same positions
(colour-blindness)
What
are the two main rhetorical motives in “I have a dream”?
to
be memorable. There should be something in the speech that people –
not matter of their educational status – can take away from it
(e.g. Obama’s “yes we can”). I have a dream. A simple
almost songlike statement that he repeats throughout his speech.
It’s about mobilizing people.
Anaphora:
repetition at the beginning of the sentence, he uses this specific
stylistic theme: anaphoric reference
Clear
political demand: we cannot be satisfied
Name
two authors of the civil rights era who wrote about sexuality.
James
Baldwin
Joyce
Caroll Oats
What
does Norman Mailer’s adoption of New Journalism mean?
Name
the title of Roland Barthes influential essay and explain what it
postulates.
“Death
of the Author” postulates that that the author does not have
authority over how we read and understand his/her text, we should
treat the text as something that stands on its own. He says that to
look at the authors intention is a fallacy in the reading process.
Barthes stopped that there has to be a link between the author and
the text.
In
what way is the Moebius Strip relevant for our understanding of John
Barth’s short story “Lost in the Funhouse”?
Moebius
Strip represents an idea of infinite repetition, which can be seen in
“Lost in the Funhouse”. The book is a short story cycle that
plays with the idea of infinite repetition. “Once upon a time there
was a story that began with once upon a time there was a story that
began with…” In the case of John Barth, the idea of being lost in
the funhouse connects to the moebius strip. It’s a text that seeks
to confuse you. It’s a metaphor for the reading process and the
process of literary creation.
What
does the term “intentional fallacy” mean?
Intentional
fallacy is a literary
term that asserts that the meaning
intended by the author
of a literary work is not the only, and perhaps not the most
important, meaning of the piece.
Name
one meta-fictional element in David Forster Wallace’s “The devil
is a busy man”
It’s
written in form of a monologue as if there was an imaginary
questionnaire. He claims “If the world knows what you do
(generous), that it is no longer an act that is selfless. If you
would know what he/she did, you would judge him/her.”
What
is the “ethnic pentagon”?
The
“ethnic pentagon” means the idea that all of America can be
classified according to the ethnic pentagon. There were 5 categories:
White, black, Native and Alaskan American, Hispanic, Asian-Pacific
Island.
What
does N. Scott Momaday imply by his use of the term “blood memory”?
“Blood
memory" means the blurring of the distinction between racial
identity (blood) and narrative (memory). The memory is in the blood.
But he writes it at a time when Native Americans had to prove their
legal status as being Native American by providing their blood
quantum. (Family tree analysis)
In
what way does Toni Morrison’s “Recitative” play with the
reader?
The
story explores how the relationship between the two main characters
is shaped by their racial difference. Morrison does not, however,
disclose which character is white and which is black. He wants to
present the idea that blackness and whiteness are social concepts.
What
does the pool party in Gish Jen’s “In the American Society”
symbolize? Please offer one concrete example from the text.
It
symbolizes the integration of immigrants into American society and
shows that this Salad bowl system is not only a “we all love each
other” system. Ralph’s family is invited to a party and they are
also guests as all the other people, but nevertheless some elements
of racism occur at the party. For example when his daughters have to
serve other guests although there were no servants. Difficulties with
assimilation are symbolized when Ralph throws his jacket in the pool
and tells his daughters to go back and get it, saying that they swim
much better than he does, meaning that he fails to integrate into
American society and his daughters swim fluently in the American
society.
What
is the significance of the use of Spanish and English in Gloria
Anzaldua’s “Borderlands”?
She
doesn’t want to be classified as American or as Mexican, because
she was born on the borderland, where these two cultures meet. The
poem is written in Spanish (4 lines) and in English (4 lines), which
represent her identity and are equally important. That way of writing
represents her identity, since it becomes the input of her literary
production. She doesn’t claim America and she doesn’t claim
Mexico. She claims the space in between.
Aurora
Levins Morales expresses a notion of inter-American identity. Which
author of the 19th
century expresses a similar idea?
Gloria
Evangelina Anzaldua
Name
three American fiction authors who wrote about 9/11.
John
Updike (Terrorist)
Ken
Kalfus (A Disorder Peculiar to the Country)
Don
DeLillo (Falling Man)