All CLEP Humanities Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #1 : Understanding Terminology That Describes Twentieth Century Fiction
A miraculous or unexpected intervention that quickly resolves a seemingly impossible plotline is called a __________.
red herring
deus ex machina
chorus
MacGuffin
flashback
deus ex machina
"Deus ex machina," Latin for the god from the machine, is an ancient theater term that described a play's conclusion that found actual gods intervening from contraptions to quickly resolve a plot. The term is used more widely in literature and film in modern parlance to refer to a contrived ending to a plot that relies heavily on a miraculous or contrived intervention by some other figure than the main characters.
Example Question #1 : Understanding Terminology That Describes Nineteenth Century Fiction
All of the following were distinguishing features of Romantic Era writing EXCEPT __________.
an adherence to the ideals of antiquity
valuing emotion over reason
a focus on the artistic genius
a reaction against the Age of Enlightenment
a belief in the importance of nature
an adherence to the ideals of antiquity
The Romantic movement flourished throughout Europe during the early nineteenth century. It gained steam in artistic, literary, and philosophic circles by reacting against the Age of Enlightenment and many of its ideals, such as a focus on rationality and love of antiquity. Romanticism particularly valued emotion, nature, and the spontaneous artistic creation of a singular genius.