TLDR;
This session focuses on American Literature PYQs, covering various authors, works, and literary movements. The speaker emphasizes key aspects such as identifying authors, understanding writing styles, and recognizing major works. The session also highlights the importance of understanding the context and themes within American literature.
- Key authors and works are discussed.
- Emphasis on understanding writing styles and themes.
- Importance of Telegram channel for PDFs and materials.
Introduction [0:02]
The host, Abhay, welcomes viewers to a session focused on American Literature PYQs. He encourages viewers to join his Telegram channel for PDFs and materials related to the session. The Telegram channel contains PDFs, MCQs, PYQs and other content. He also asks viewers to like the session and announces the start of the session.
Bowling Alone Term [2:12]
The session starts with a question about who used the term "Bowling Alone" to describe the erosion of community ties and the decline of social capital in the United States. The term "Bowling Alone" refers to the shift from people enjoying activities in groups to engaging in them alone. The correct answer is Robert Putnam.
African American Slave Narrative [3:48]
The next question asks which of the listed authors is not a writer of African American slave narratives. The options include Soloman Northup, Frederick Douglass, Phillis Wheatley, and Sojourner Truth. Phillis Wheatley is the correct answer because, while she was an African American writer, she primarily wrote religious poetry rather than slave narratives.
Mark Twain's Travel Books [6:24]
The session continues with a question about which of Mark Twain's travel books includes an account of his visit to India. The options are A Tramp Abroad, Roughing It, The Innocents Abroad, and Following the Equator. The correct answer is Following the Equator, which details Twain's travels to various places, including India, Sri Lanka, and South Africa.
Emily Dickinson's Poems [8:12]
The discussion shifts to Emily Dickinson's poetry and the significance of the dashes she frequently used in her works. The question asks what these dashes signify. The correct answer is that they represent pauses or changes in tone.
Pulitzer Prize in 1920 [9:26]
The session presents a question about which playwright was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1920. The options are Sean O'Casey, William Somerset Maugham, J.B. Priestley, and Eugene O'Neill. The correct answer is Eugene O'Neill, who won the prize for his work "Beyond the Horizon".
Angels in America [10:46]
The next question asks who wrote the play "Angels in America." The options are David Mamet, August Wilson, Sam Shepard, and Tony Kushner. The correct answer is Tony Kushner.
Tales of Grotesque and Arabesque [12:00]
The session continues with a question about who wrote "Tales of Grotesque and Arabesque." The options are Herman Melville, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Martin and Eden, and Edgar Allan Poe. The correct answer is Edgar Allan Poe. The host emphasizes the importance of studying Edgar Allan Poe when dealing with American literature.
Edgar Allan Poe's Short Stories [13:15]
The question is about which of Edgar Allan Poe's short stories features a narrator who has a rival with the same name and an uncanny physical resemblance. The options are "Hop-Frog," "William Wilson," "The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether," and "The Imp of the Perverse." The correct answer is "William Wilson."
Lionel Trilling's Essays [14:37]
The session asks which of the following essays was written by Lionel Trilling. The options are "The Liberal Imagination," "Notes Towards a Definition of Culture," "The Common Reader," and "Art and Illusion." The correct answer is "The Liberal Imagination."
The Grapes of Wrath [15:26]
The discussion turns to John Steinbeck's "The Grapes of Wrath," asking who symbolizes human compassion at the end of the novel. The options are Tom Joad, Rose of Sharon, Danny, and Jim Nolan. The correct answer is Rose of Sharon.
For Whom the Bell Tolls [16:26]
The session presents a matching question related to Ernest Hemingway's "For Whom the Bell Tolls." The correct answer is John Donne's "Meditation 17."
Matching Authors with Their Works [17:28]
The task is to match authors with their works. The correct match is Elizabeth Bishop with "Life Studies."
Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton [18:14]
The question asks which of the following statements about Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton is correct. The correct answer is that both are considered confessional poets. The host emphasizes the importance of studying Sylvia Plath's life and works.
James Fenimore Cooper's Series [20:27]
The session asks which series by James Fenimore Cooper features the character Natty Bumppo. The options are "The Leatherstocking Tales," "The Frontier Chronicles," "The Indian Sketches," and "Tales of a Traveler." The correct answer is "The Leatherstocking Tales."
Opening Line from Nature [21:21]
The question asks where the opening line "Our age is retrospective. It builds the sepulchers of the fathers" is from. The options are "Nature," "The American Scholar," "The Over-Soul," and "The English Traits." The correct answer is "Nature" by Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Incorrectly Matched Pair [22:23]
The task is to identify the incorrectly matched pair. The correct answer is Clifford Pynchon with "The Blithedale Romance."
Nathaniel Hawthorne's Statements [23:45]
The question asks which statements about Nathaniel Hawthorne are correct. The correct statements are that he worked at the Boston Custom House, he is considered a dark romantic writer, and he was not a leading transcendentalist.
Zenobia and Priscilla [25:00]
The question is about statements related to "The Blithedale Romance." The correct statements are that Coverdale is emotionally detached throughout the story, Silas Foster is a practical farmer, and Hollingsworth is a charismatic philanthropist.
Thoreau's Last Book [26:44]
The question asks which statements about Thoreau are correct. The correct statements are that "Civil Disobedience" was written after Thoreau spent a night in jail, Walden was a primary political essay, and Emerson owned land near Walden Pond and allowed Thoreau to build a small cabin in the woods.
Death of a Salesman [28:21]
The question asks who among the following is not a character in "Death of a Salesman" by Arthur Miller. The options are Willy Loman, Linda Loman, George Deaver, and Bernard. The correct answer is George Deaver.
Statements About Authors [29:46]
The question asks which of the statements about the authors are correct. The correct statements are about J.D. Salinger's "The Catcher in the Rye," Ray Bradbury's "Fahrenheit 451," and Jack Kerouac's "On the Road."
Line from Poem [30:59]
The question asks where the line "But I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep" is from. The correct answer is Robert Frost's "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening."
Emily Dickinson's Life [31:56]
The question asks which of the following statements about Emily Dickinson's life are correct. The correct answer is all of the above.
Light in August [33:42]
The question asks who the central figure facing prejudice and isolation is in William Faulkner's "Light in August." The correct answer is Joe Christmas.
Moby Dick [34:46]
The question is about "Moby Dick." The correct statements are that Ishmael narrates the story in the first person but sometimes uses the third person narrative, Queequeg becomes Ishmael's friend, and the Pequod is a whaling ship owned by Ahab and Bildad.
Louisa May Alcott's Stories [35:48]
The question asks under what pseudonym Louisa May Alcott published sensational early stories emphasizing female independence. The correct answer is A.M. Barnard.
Hawthorne's Story [37:08]
The question asks which Hawthorne story explores a family curse during the Salem witch trials. The correct answer is "The House of the Seven Gables."
Henry James' Description [37:40]
The question asks how Henry James described 19th-century novels. The correct answer is "loose, baggy monsters."
American Scholar by R.W. Emerson [38:36]
The question asks which of the following statements about "The American Scholar" by R.W. Emerson is incorrect. The correct answer is that it emphasizes that books are tools, not substitutes for thought.
Charlotte Perkins Gilman [39:43]
The question is an assertion-reason question about Charlotte Perkins Gilman. The correct answer is that the assertion is correct, but the reason is false and not connected.
Jack London's Writing [41:16]
The question asks which theme is not prominently explored in Jack London's writing. The correct answer is moral corruption in urban elite society.
Frost's Comparison [42:16]
The question asks what Frost compared free verse to. The correct answer is playing tennis without a net.
Whitman's Statements [43:31]
The question is about statements related to Walt Whitman. The correct statements are that Whitman was called America's national poet and first poet of democracy, and Harold Bloom described him as the American Homer and Dante.
Character in Rip Van Winkle [44:36]
The question asks in which work the character Ichabod Crane appears. The correct answer is "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow."
Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court [45:05]
The question asks what Hank Morgan represents in "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court" by Mark Twain. The correct answer is a modern engineer trying to reform medieval society.
Theodore Dreiser and Stephen Crane [45:53]
The task is to match Theodore Dreiser and Stephen Crane with their works. The correct matches are Theodore Dreiser with "Sister Carrie" and Stephen Crane with "Maggie: A Girl of the Streets."
Ezra Pound's Literary Movement [47:02]
The question asks which literary movement Ezra Pound co-founded, emphasizing "Make it New." The correct answer is Imagism.
Theme Common to Typee and Omoo [48:08]
The question asks which theme is common to "Typee" and "Omoo." The correct answer is cultural clash and critique of colonialism.
Relationship Between Character and Incident [49:06]
The question asks, according to "The Art of Fiction" (1884) by Henry James, what the relationship is between character and incident. The correct answer is that character determines incident.
Transcendentalism [50:06]
The question asks which of the following best describes the emotions and ideas of Transcendentalism. The correct answer is a philosophical movement stressing nature, individuality, and self-reliance.
First Modern Detective Story [51:25]
The question asks which of Poe's stories is considered the first modern detective story. The correct answer is "The Murders in the Rue Morgue."
Author Critic of Societal Limitations [52:24]
The question asks which author criticizes societal limitations on women and famously wrote, "I would rather be a free spinster and paddle my own canoe." The correct answer is Louisa May Alcott.
Frost's Life and Achievement [53:12]
The question asks which of the following statements about Frost's life and achievements are accurate. The correct statements are that Frost was the poet to speak at a U.S. presidential inauguration, he was credited as a New England poet, and his poem was published in 1895.
Moby Dick Dedicated To [54:49]
The question asks to whom Melville's "Moby Dick" was dedicated. The correct answer is Nathaniel Hawthorne.
Authors and Their Work [53:46]
The question asks to identify the correct statements about these authors and their work. The correct statements are about Edward Albee's "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" Anne Sexton's "The Starry Night," and Sylvia Plath's "Daddy."
Tragic Consequences [57:11]
The question asks which work portrays the tragic consequences of societal misunderstanding and cultural clash in Europe. The correct answer is "Daisy Miller" by Henry James.
Sage of Concord [58:08]
The question asks who is known as the Sage of Concord. The correct answer is R.W. Emerson.
Pseudonym Diedrich Knickerbocker [59:15]
The question asks for which of the following works the pseudonym Diedrich Knickerbocker was used. The correct answer is "A History of New York."
Pulitzer Prize [1:00:04]
The question asks which of the following is not one of Frost's Pulitzer-winning works. The correct answer is "Mountain Interval."
Little Women [1:00:52]
The question asks who wrote the book that started this great war, referring to "Little Women." The correct answer is Harriet Beecher Stowe.
Assertion and Reason [1:02:02]
The question is an assertion-reason question. The correct answer is that both the assertion and reason are correct.
Robert Frost [1:03:12]
The question asks at which U.S. presidential inauguration Robert Frost was the first poet to speak. The correct answer is John F. Kennedy.
Art and Literary Movement [1:03:46]
The question asks with which art and literary movement Gertrude Stein is associated. The correct answer is verbal cubism.
Term Did Gertrude Stein Coin [1:04:20]
The question asks what term Gertrude Stein coined to describe the expatriate artists and writers in Paris after World War I. The correct answer is the Lost Generation.
Poem by Wall Stevens [1:04:58]
The question asks which of the following is not a poem by Wallace Stevens. The correct answer is "Birches."
Age of Innocence [1:05:33]
The question is an assertion-reason question about "The Age of Innocence." The correct answer is that both the assertion and reason are correct.
Eugene O'Neill [1:06:55]
The question asks who the two brothers central to the plot are in Eugene O'Neill's "Beyond the Horizon." The correct answer is Robert Mayo and Andrew Mayo.
Edgar Allan Poe [1:07:54]
The question is a statement-based question about Edgar Allan Poe. The correct statements are that he was influenced by Lord Byron and Charles Dickens, he focused on gravity, musicality, and psychological depth, and he was not a prominent transcendentalist.
Tragic Consequences [1:12:11]
The question asks which work portrays the tragic consequences of societal misunderstanding and cultural clash in Europe. The correct answer is "Daisy Miller" by Henry James.
William Carlos Williams [1:11:16]
The question asks for what William Carlos Williams won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1963. The correct answer is "Pictures from Brueghel and Other Poems."
Ezra Pound [1:12:41]
The question asks which collection of Ezra Pound includes translations of classical Chinese poetry. The correct answer is "Cathay."
F. Scott Fitzgerald [1:13:25]
The question asks who the protagonist is in F. Scott Fitzgerald's "This Side of Paradise." The correct answer is Amory Blaine.
The Great Gatsby [1:14:14]
The question asks to consider the following statements about "The Great Gatsby." The correct statements are that Nick Carraway narrates the story as both a participant and an observer, Gatsby's mansion is located in West Egg, the green light symbolizes Gatsby's dreams and hopes, and Myrtle Wilson is Tom Buchanan's mistress.
F. Scott Fitzgerald [1:15:23]
The question asks by whom "The Last Tycoon" was edited posthumously. The correct answer is Edmund Wilson.
Who Wrote [1:15:56]
The question asks who wrote "And the Hippos Were Boiled in Their Tanks." The correct answer is Jack Kerouac and William S. Burroughs.
Identify the Incorrectly Matched Pair [1:16:36]
The question asks to identify the incorrectly matched pair. The correct answer is William Faulkner with "The Old Man and the Sea."
John Updike [1:17:14]
The question asks for which novel John Updike won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. The correct answer is "Rabbit Is Rich."
Outro [1:18:15]
The host concludes the session, expressing his physical discomfort and announcing that he needs to end the session. He asks viewers to leave comments requesting an American Literature session. He also promotes his Telegram channel for materials and updates.
