Quiz on Literary Analysis and Comprehension

If two people are debating the message of a novel, what aspect of the novel do they disagree about?

• the author's reason for giving the novel a certain text structure

• the main lesson or insight that the author shares with readers

• the emotional reaction that the novel inspires in most readers

• the real-life circumstances that inspired the writing of the novel

Read the following passage from Equiano’s narrative: "Many merchants and planters now came on board, though it was in the evening. They put us in separate parcels, and examined us attentively. They also made us jump, and pointed to the land, signifying we were to go there." What is the most likely purpose for including this information?

• to explain the economic system that existed in Bridgetown

• to make it clear that the enslaved people were still aboard the ship

• to reinforce the idea that enslaved people were considered property

• to provide the reader insight about the narrator's emotional reactions

Read this passage from an editorial: "Last week, a driver ignored the flashing red lights on a school bus and almost hit a group of third-graders. The buses need roof-mounted strobe lights to let drivers know that a school bus is nearby and flashing amber lights to let drivers know that a bus is preparing to stop. I urge our school officials to require that school buses are equipped with these lights. Children’s lives are at stake!" Who is the most likely audience for this editorial?

• drivers of school buses

• members of a school board

• elementary-school teachers

• drivers of cars

Which best describes the relationship among character, plot, and theme?

• Character, plot, and theme are separate, unconnected text elements.

• The behaviors of characters drive the plot but have little to do with theme.

• The plot of a story connects closely to its theme but not to its characters.

• The actions and motivations of characters contribute to theme and plot.

Read this passage from “Everyday Use”: "Meanwhile Asalamalakim is going through motions with Maggie’s hand. Maggie’s hand is as limp as a fish, and probably as cold, despite the sweat, and she keeps trying to pull it back. It looks like Asalamalakim wants to shake hands but wants to do it fancy. Or maybe he doesn’t know how people shake hands." Which theme is best revealed by the characters’ actions in the passage?

• Strangers can become close if they are open to new things.

• Being polite is extremely important in human relationships.

• People can struggle to connect if their experiences are different.

• Men and women can never completely understand each other.

Read the passage: "I don’t know how it all began, but I do know how it ended: Belle and Robby stopped talking to me, leaving Zan as my only friend. On the whole it wasn’t too bad. Robby never liked me one bit, I see it now, and Belle used me for her own purposes. 'Lend me a dollar, Sondra?' she’d ask, and never pay me back. . . ." What perspective is the narrator sharing in the passage?

• her perspective on two friends who disappointed her

• her perspective on the value of friendship

• her perspective on the importance of loyalty

• her perspective on the friendship between Robby and Belle

Read this passage from "Everyday Use." Dee wanted nice things. A yellow organdy dress to wear to her graduation from high school; black pumps to match a green suit she’d made from an old suit somebody gave me. What does the passage imply about the context of the story’s setting?

• Dee's family values education above all.

• Dee's family does not have much money.

• Dee's family expects her to get a good job.

• Dee's family is well-liked in the community.

Read this passage from The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. On the 24th of February, 1815, the look-out at Notre-Dame de la Garde signalled the three-master, the Pharaon from Smyrna, Trieste, and Naples. . . Immediately, and according to custom, the ramparts of Fort Saint-Jean were covered with spectators; it is always an event at Marseilles for a ship to come into port, especially when this ship. . . belongs to an owner of the city. Which best describes how the context of the setting affects the characters?

• Citizens do not have many opportunities to participate in city events.

• Citizens look forward to the arrival of goods that ships bring to the city.

• Citizens attend because they want to celebrate the owner of the city.

• Citizens are obligated to show up because it is a strict law of the city.

Read this excerpt from 'To Kill a Mockingbird': "Atticus said to Jem one day, 'I’d rather you shot at tin cans in the backyard, but I know you’ll go after birds. Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit ‘em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.'" What does this advice symbolize in the novel?

• Respect for all living things

• The importance of childhood innocence

• The sin of harming innocent beings

• Atticus's personal dislike for hunting

Consider this line from 'The Great Gatsby': "So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past." What theme does this line suggest about the novel?

• The inevitability of aging

• The persistent allure of nostalgia

• The destructive nature of love

• The American Dream's unattainability