GRE Subject Test: Literature in English : Contexts of American Prose After 1925

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for GRE Subject Test: Literature in English

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All GRE Subject Test: Literature in English Resources

1 Diagnostic Test 158 Practice Tests Question of the Day Flashcards Learn by Concept

Example Questions

Example Question #82 : Contexts Of American Prose

Which of the following is not another short story by the author of “A Clean Well-Lighted Place”?

Possible Answers:

“The Snows of Kilimanjaro”

“Dry September”

“The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber”

“Hills Like White Elephants”

“Big Two-Hearted River”

Correct answer:

“Dry September”

Explanation:

“The Snows of Kilimanjaro” (1936), “Hills Like White Elephants” (1927), “The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber” (1936), “A Clean Well-Lighted Place” (1933), and “Big Two-Hearted River” (1925) are all works by Ernest Hemingway. “Dry September” is by William Faulkner (1931).

Example Question #83 : Contexts Of American Prose

What country is the setting of “A Clean Well-Lighted Place”?

Possible Answers:

Tanzania

Spain

India

The United States

China

Correct answer:

Spain

Explanation:

Hemingway's “A Clean Well-Lighted Place” (1933) takes place in an unnamed café in Spain. While Hemingway did set some stories in Africa and the United States, his reputation from the interwar years is primarily as a expatriate writer in continental Europe.

Example Question #84 : Contexts Of American Prose

Which of the following works by the same author shares the setting of “A Clean Well-Lighted Place”?

Possible Answers:

The Sun Also Rises

True at First Light

Across the River and Into the Trees

The Old Man and the Sea

A Moveable Feast

Correct answer:

The Sun Also Rises

Explanation:

The Sun Also Rises (1926) is set in several cities in Spain. The Old Man and the Sea (1952) is set off the coast of Cuba, Across the River and Into the Trees (1950) is set in Italy, True at First Light (1999) is set in East Africa, A Moveable Feast (1964) is set primarily in Paris (as it is Hemingway's memoir of his expatriate life in the 1920s).

Example Question #145 : Contexts Of Prose

During what decade was Fahrenheit 451 published?

Possible Answers:

1950s

1960s

1970s

1980s

1990s

Correct answer:

1950s

Explanation:

The novel was published in 1953 amidst real threats of book burning, censorship, and McCarthyism in America.

Example Question #146 : Contexts Of Prose

During what decade was The Bushwhacked Piano published? 

Possible Answers:

1950s

1970s

1940s

1960s

1930s

Correct answer:

1970s

Explanation:

This novel, McGuane’s second, was first published in 1971. You might have been able to narrow down the options by recognizing that McGuane was not born until 1939.

Example Question #147 : Contexts Of Prose

When was Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas published?

Possible Answers:

1950s

1990s

1980s

1960s

1970s

Correct answer:

1970s

Explanation:

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas was first published in 1971, making it a very early reflection on the countercultural events of the 1960s.

Example Question #85 : Contexts Of American Prose

The author of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas was one of the founders of which school of journalism?

Possible Answers:

Gonzo

sports

New

convergence

churnalism

Correct answer:

Gonzo

Explanation:

Hunter S. Thompson was known for popularizing Gonzo journalism, a style of writing in which the journalist does not claim to be objective but rather actively participates in the story. Gonzo journalism is also known for its crude language, lack of detachment, and use of humor and sarcasm. 

Example Question #86 : Contexts Of American Prose

To what genre does Fahrenheit 451 belong?

Possible Answers:

Fantasy

Dystopia

Psychoanalysis

Political thriller

Tragedy

Correct answer:

Dystopia

Explanation:

While much of Bradbury’s work is categorized as literary science fiction, Fahrenheit 451 is a dystopia that takes place in a society in which books are burned and knowledge is suppressed by an authoritarian state.

Ray Bradbury published Fahrenheit 451 in 1953.

Example Question #151 : Contexts Of Prose

Which of the following is not another title by the author of Fahrenheit 451?

Possible Answers:

Dandelion Wine

The Illustrated Man

Something Wicked This Way Comes

The Martian Chronicles

Stranger in a Strange Land

Correct answer:

Stranger in a Strange Land

Explanation:

The Martian Chronicles (1950), Something Wicked This Way Comes (1962), Dandelion Wine (1957), and The Illustrated Man (1951) are all novels by Ray Bradbury. Stranger in a Strange Land (1961) is a famous science fiction novel by American author Robert A. Heinlein.

Example Question #153 : Contexts Of Prose

To what genre does The Bushwhacked Piano belong?

Possible Answers:

Picaresque

Memoir

Political thriller

Psychological thriller

Tragedy

Correct answer:

Picaresque

Explanation:

The Bushwhacked Piano (1971) falls into the category of the picaresque, as it follows the comical misadventures of a central character (Nicholas Payne) through a series of farcical events.

All GRE Subject Test: Literature in English Resources

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