1. Which novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald captures the Roaring Twenties and explores themes of wealth, love, and the disillusionment of the American Dream?
A. The Sun Also Rises
B. A Farewell to Arms
C. The Great Gatsby
D. Tender Is the Night
2. Which novel by Toni Morrison tells the story of Sethe, a former slave haunted by the ghost of her baby?
A. Song of Solomon
B. Beloved
C. The Bluest Eye
D. Jazz
3. Which dystopian novel by George Orwell depicts a totalitarian society under constant surveillance, where individual freedom is suppressed?
A. Brave New World
B. Fahrenheit 451
C. 1984
D. The Handmaid′s Tale
4. Who wrote 'Moby Dick,' a classic American novel about Captain Ahab′s obsessive quest for a white whale?
A. Nathaniel Hawthorne
B. Herman Melville
C. Ralph Waldo Emerson
D. Henry David Thoreau
5. What is a 'sonnet′ in poetry, particularly in the English tradition?
A. A poem with fourteen lines, typically in iambic pentameter and with a specific rhyme scheme
B. A long narrative poem telling a heroic story
C. A short poem expressing personal emotions in free verse
D. A poem with no set structure or rhyme scheme
6. Which American literary movement championed individualism, intuition, and the inherent goodness of people and nature, as seen in the works of Emerson and Thoreau?
A. Realism
B. Naturalism
C. Transcendentalism
D. Existentialism
7. Who is the author of 'The Waste Land,' a landmark poem of Modernist literature, known for its fragmented style and allusions?
A. William Wordsworth
B. T.S. Eliot
C. Walt Whitman
D. Robert Frost
8. What is a defining feature of Gothic literature, a genre prevalent in both English and American traditions?
A. Emphasis on social realism and everyday life
B. Celebration of nature and pastoral settings
C. Elements of mystery, horror, and the supernatural in dark, decaying settings
D. Focus on rationalism and scientific progress
9. Which novel by Harper Lee addresses themes of racial injustice and childhood innocence in the American South?
A. The Color Purple
B. To Kill a Mockingbird
C. Their Eyes Were Watching God
D. Invisible Man
10. What is the purpose of dramatic irony in literature?
A. To create suspense by revealing information to the audience that characters are unaware of
B. To make a situation humorous through unexpected twists
C. To confuse the audience and create ambiguity
D. To provide a straightforward and predictable narrative
11. What is the term for a protagonist in a literary work who lacks conventional heroic qualities and may be flawed, ordinary, or even unsympathetic?
A. Archetype
B. Antagonist
C. Anti-hero
D. Foil
12. Which literary period is characterized by a focus on reason, logic, and societal order, often reflecting Enlightenment ideals?
A. Romanticism
B. Neoclassicism
C. Modernism
D. Postmodernism
13. What is 'magical realism′ as a literary genre?
A. A genre focused solely on fantasy and mythical creatures
B. A genre that blends realistic fiction with elements of fantasy or the supernatural in a matter-of-fact tone
C. A type of science fiction dealing with advanced technology
D. A form of historical fiction set in ancient civilizations
14. Which American poet is known for free verse and poems like 'Song of Myself′ in 'Leaves of Grass,' celebrating democracy and individualism?
A. Edgar Allan Poe
B. Emily Dickinson
C. Walt Whitman
D. Robert Frost
15. Which American author is renowned for his short stories and novels set in the fictional Yoknapatawpha County, Mississippi, exploring themes of Southern history, race, and family?
A. Ernest Hemingway
B. F. Scott Fitzgerald
C. William Faulkner
D. John Steinbeck
16. In American literature, the 'Lost Generation′ refers to which group of writers?
A. Writers of the Harlem Renaissance
B. Expatriate writers who came of age during World War I
C. Beat poets of the 1950s
D. Southern Gothic writers
17. What is 'bildungsroman′ genre primarily concerned with?
A. Stories of epic heroes and their heroic journeys
B. Narratives focusing on the psychological and moral growth of a protagonist from youth to adulthood
C. Tales of romantic love and relationships
D. Political satires and social commentaries
18. Which British literary period is named after the monarch who reigned during a time of significant social and industrial change, and whose literature often reflects moral earnestness and social commentary?
A. Elizabethan Era
B. Victorian Era
C. Romantic Era
D. Modern Era
19. The Harlem Renaissance, a significant movement in American literature and arts, primarily celebrated the culture and identity of which group?
A. Irish immigrants
B. African Americans
C. Native Americans
D. Jewish immigrants
20. What is the 'Beat Generation′ in American literature known for?
A. Its formal and traditional poetic forms
B. Its celebration of conformity and social norms
C. Its rejection of mainstream American values and experimentation with drugs and Eastern spirituality
D. Its focus on historical narratives and patriotic themes
21. Which novel, written by Jane Austen, satirizes societal norms and expectations surrounding marriage and social class in 19th-century England?
A. Wuthering Heights
B. Pride and Prejudice
C. Frankenstein
D. Jane Eyre
22. What is a key characteristic of the 'stream of consciousness′ narrative technique, as employed by authors like Virginia Woolf and James Joyce?
A. Objective and detached narration of events
B. Linear and chronological storytelling
C. Depiction of characters′ thoughts and feelings as they occur, often disjointed
D. Strict adherence to traditional narrative structures
23. Which play by Arthur Miller critiques the American Dream through the tragic story of Willy Loman, a traveling salesman?
A. The Crucible
B. Death of a Salesman
C. All My Sons
D. A View from the Bridge
24. What literary device is characterized by the repetition of initial consonant sounds in closely connected words, often used in poetry?
A. Metaphor
B. Alliteration
C. Simile
D. Personification
25. What is the significance of the 'American Dream′ in American literature?
A. It is a consistently positive and attainable ideal portrayed in all American literature.
B. It is a complex and often critiqued concept, representing both aspiration and disillusionment.
C. It primarily focuses on religious salvation and spiritual fulfillment.
D. It is a theme exclusive to early American colonial literature.
26. Who is considered the 'Father of English Literature′ due to his influential work 'The Canterbury Tales′?
A. William Shakespeare
B. Geoffrey Chaucer
C. John Milton
D. William Wordsworth
27. What is the primary focus of 'Naturalism′ as a literary movement?
A. Idealized portrayals of nature and rural life
B. Emphasis on human free will and moral choices
C. Depiction of characters as products of their environment and heredity, often facing deterministic forces
D. Exploration of subjective emotions and inner consciousness
28. Which of Shakespeare′s plays is famously known for the line 'To be or not to be, that is the question′?
A. Macbeth
B. Othello
C. Hamlet
D. King Lear
29. Which of the following is NOT a characteristic typically associated with Postmodern literature?
A. Metafiction and self-reflexivity
B. Rejection of grand narratives and absolute truths
C. Emphasis on objective reality and universal meaning
D. Fragmentation and pastiche
30. In literary analysis, what does 'symbolism′ refer to?
A. The use of chronological order in storytelling
B. The representation of abstract ideas or qualities through concrete objects, characters, or actions
C. The author′s direct statements about the theme of the work
D. The use of humor to lighten the tone of a serious work
