Exercise-3-American-Realism

1Exercise3AmericanRealismI.Multiplechoice:1.TheAgeofRealismintheliteraryhistoryoftheUnitedStatesreferstotheperiodfrom________to_________.A.1861….1914B.1763….1918C.1865….1914D.1865….19182.Stylistically,HenryJames’fictionischaracterizedby_______________.A.highlyrefinedlanguageB.ordinaryAmericanspeechC.short,clearsentencesD.abundanceoflocalimages3.________isdescribedbyMarkTwainasaboywith“asoundheartandadeformedconscience.A.TomSawyerB.HuckleberryFinnC.JimD.Tony4.Thesettingof__________isAmerica,wheresomeEuropeans,whoareactuallyexpatriatedAmericans,learnswithdifficulttoadaptthemselvestotheAmericanlife.A.MiddlemarchB.TheEuropeansC.DaisyMillerD.ThePortraitofaLady5.MarkTwainwrotemostofhisliteraryworkswitha_____________language.A.grandB.pompousC.simpleD.vernacular6.HenryJamesexperimentedwithmanydifferentthemesinhisliterarycareer,themostinfluentialonebeing_______________.A.nothingnessB.disillusionmentC.internationalthemeD.relationshipbetweenmenandwomen7.Thebookfromwhich“allmodernAmericanliteraturecomes”refersto_________________.A.theGreatGatsbyB.thesunAlsorisesC.TheAdventuresofHuckleberryFinnD.Moby-Dick8.MarkTwainstoodonthesideofChinainitsstruggleagainstforeigninvasions.His___________and__________aretwonotableexamplesofhisvigorousattacksontheimperialistbehaviouroftheUnitedStatesandotherforeigncountriesinChina.A.theTreatywithChinaB.TothePersonSittinginDarknessC.DisgracefulPersecutionofaBoyD.Goldsmith’sFriendAbroadAgainII.Identificationoffragment:“Wedasn’tstopagainatanytown,fordaysanddays;keptrightalongdowntheriver.Wewasdownsouthinthewarmweather,now,andamightylongwaysfromhome.WebegantocometotreeswithSpanishmossonthem,hangingdownfromthelimbslikelonggraybeards.ItwasthefirstIeverseeitgrowing,anditmadethewoodslooksolemnanddismal.”Questions:A.Identifytheauthorandthework.B.Whomdoestheword“we”referto?C.Whatisthenameoftherivermentionedinthepassage?III.Givebriefanswers:1.WhoarethethreedominantfiguresoftheAmericanRealisticPeriodandwhataretheirliterarydifferences?2.InAmericanliteraturewhatisthesignificanceof“AdventuresofHuckleberryFinn”byMarkTwain?2Suggestedanswers:I.1.C2.A3.B4.B5.D6.C7.C8.A.BII.A.MarkTwain’sTheAdventuresofHuckleberryFinnB.Theword“we”referstoHuckandJim.C.theMississippiriverIII.1.ThethreedominantfiguresoftheperiodwereWilliamDeanHowells,MarkTwain,andHenryJames.Thoughthethreeprominentwritersallworkedforrealism,theyhaddifferentunderstandingofthe“truth”.WhileMarkTwainandHowellsseemtohavepaidmoreattentiontothe“life”oftheAmericans,HenryJameshasapparentlylaidagreateremphasisonthe“innerworld”ofman.Heisarealistoftheinnerlife.ThoughTwainandHowellsbothsharethesameconcerninpresentingthetruthoftheAmericansociety,theyhaveeachofthemdifferentemphasis.Howellsfocuseshisdiscussionontherisingmiddleclassandthewaytheylive,whileTwaindealswithhisownregionandpeopleofthelowerclassofsocietyattheforefrontofhisstories.JameswritesmostlyoftheupperreachesofAmericansociety.2.Firstofall,thenoveliswritteninalanguagethatissimple,directandlucidandfaithfultothecolloquialspeech.Thisunpretentiousstyleofcolloquialismisbestdescribedas“vernacular”.Speakinginvernacular,wildanduneducatedHuck,runningawayfromcivilizationforhisfreedom,isvividlybroughttolife.Thebookisalsosignificantfortheshapegiventoitbythecourseoftheraft’sjourneydowntheMississippiasHuckandJimseektheirdifferentkindsoffreedom.Twain,whoknewtheriverintimately,usesitherbothrealisticallyandsymbolically.AnothergreatcontributionofthebookistheprofoundportraitofHuckleberryFinn.ThenovelbeginswithadescriptionofhowWidowDouglasattemptstocivilizeHuckandendswithhimdecidingnottoletithappenagainatthehandsofAuntSally.TheclimaxariseswithHuck’sinnerstruggleontheMississippi,whenHuckispolarizedbytwoopposingforcesbetweenhisheartandhishead,betweenhisaffectionforJimandthelawsofthesocietyagainstthosewhohelpslavesescape.Huck’sfinaldecision–tofollowhisowngood-heartedmoralimpulseratherthanconventionalvillagemorality–amountstoavindicationofwhatTwaincalled“thedamnedhumanrace,”damnedforitscomfortablehypocrisies,itsthoroughgoingdishonesties,anditspervasivecrulties.Withtheeventualvictoryofhismoralconscienceoverhissocialawareness,Huckgrows.HuckleberryFinnmarkstheclimaxofTwain’sliterarycreativity.ItiswhatHemingwayoncedescribesastheonebookfromwhich“allmodernAmericanliteraturecomes.”