陶洁版美国文学选读第三版课后习题答案

1、美国文学选读 第三版 课后习题答案 陶洁(部分)Unit 1 Benjamin FranklinQuestions1.Why did Franklin write his Autobiography?Franklin says that because his son may wish to know about his life, he is taking his one week vacation in the English countryside to record his past. He also says that he has enjoyed his life and woul

2、d like to repeat it2.What made Franklin decide to leave the brother to whom he had been apprenticed?His brother was passionate, and had often beaten him. The aversion to arbitrary power that has stuck to him through his whole life .After a brush with the law, Franklin left his brother.3.How did he a

3、rrive in Philadephia?First he set out in a boat for Amboy, the boat dropped him off about 50 miles from Burlington, the next day he reached Burlington on foot, in Burlington he found a boat which was going towards Philadelphia, he arrived there about eight or nine oclock, on the Sunday morning and l

4、anded at the Market Street wharf.4.What features do you find in the style of the above selection?It is the pattern of Puritan simplicity, directness, and concision(言简意赅). The narrative is lucid(易懂的), the structure is simple, the imagery is homely(朴素的).Unit 2 Edgar Allen Poe1.Who is the narrator? Wha

5、t wrong does he want to redress?Montresor.Fortunato, one of wine experts insulted him, so he wanted to murder him.2.What is the pretext he uses to lure Fortunato to his wine cellar?He baits Fortunato by telling him he has obtained what he believes to be a cask of Amontillado a rare and valuable sher

6、ry wine. Fortunato is anxious to determine whether or not it is truly Amontillado, so he goes to the vault with Montresor.3.What happens to Fortunato in the end?He was walled up alive behind bricks in a wine cellar.4.Describe briefly how Poe characterizes Montresor and Fortunato as contrasts?Poe use

7、s color imagery to characterize them. Montresor face is covered in a black silk mask, In contrast, Fortunato dresses the motley-colored costume of the court fool, who gets literally and tragically fooled by Montresor's masked motives. The color schemes here represent the irony of Fortunato's

8、 death sentence. Through the acts, words, and thoughts of  Fortunato,we know He is greedy, he was lured into the dark and somber vaults just because a cask of Amontillado. This is also due to his bad habit of bibulosity(酗酒）. He lost himself on hearing the wine. At the same time, he was che

9、ated by his enemy, which reflected his ignorance. When he heard the pretended compliment from Montresor, he became very boastful and arrogant.He was easily confused by the superficial phenomena and failed to watch out for others. He couldnt tolerate that others were stronger than him. For example, M

10、ontresor always stimulated him with Luchresi who was good at connoisseur（鉴赏） in wine. Under the impulse of vanity, he fell into Montresors terrible trap. In fact, he was careless and foolish and didnt find that the danger was approaching him. He looked down upon Montresor and others.He didnt realize

11、 his foolishness until the death was coming. Talking from the appearance, Monstresor was a well-educated and “kind” businessman. He enjoyed the honor and respect in the city. But in fact, he was an evil and awful person. His inner feelings were so cruel that they even made people tremble. Under his

12、rich appearance was the dirty soul and despicable character. We couldnt see any glorious virtues in his mind. Instead, his heart was cold and dark. It was the revenge that threw Montresor into the deep evil valley.unit 4 Nathaniel Hawthorne1.Why is the prison the setting of Chapter 1 ? No matter how

13、 optimistic the founders of new colonies may be, they are quick to establish a prison and a cemetery in their “Utopia,” for they know that misbehavior, evil, and death are unavoidable. This belief fits into the larger Puritan doctrine, which puts heavy emphasis on the idea of original sinthe notion

14、that all people are born sinners because of the initial transgressions of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. he is therefore using the prison building to represent the crime and the punishment which are aspect of civilized lifeWhat is the implication of the description of the roses?The rosebush sym

15、bolizes the ability of nature to endure and outlast man's activities. The narrator suggests that roses offer a reminder of Nature's kindness to the condemned; for his tale, he says, it will provide either a “sweet moral blossom” or else some relief in the face of unrelenting sorrow and gloom

16、.2.Describe the appearance of Hester Prynne and the attitude of the people towards her.The second paragraph on page 30.The crowd in front of the jail is a mixture of men and women, all maintaining severe looks of disapproval. Several of the women begin to discuss Hester Prynne, and they soon vow tha

17、t Hester would not have received such a light sentence for her crime if they had been the judges. One woman, the ugliest of the group, goes so far as to advocate death for Hester. 3.What has happened to Hester? As a young woman, Hester married an elderly scholar, Chillingworth, who sent her ahead to

18、 America to live. While waiting for him, she had an affair with a Puritan minister named Dimmesdale, after which she gave birth to Pearl. The scarlet letter is her punishment for her sin and her secrecy. Why does she make the embroidery of the letter A so elaborate?It seems to declare that she is pr

19、oud, rather than ashamed, of her sin. In reality, however, Hester simply accepts the “sin” and its symbol as part of herself, just as she accepts her child. And although she can hardly believe her present “realities,” she takes them as they are rather than resisting them or trying to atone for them.

20、How does this tell us about her character?Throughout The Scarlet Letter Hester is portrayed as an intelligent, capable. It is the extraordinary circumstances shaping her that make her such an important figure.Unit5 Herman Melville1.What are the stories Ismael tells about Moby Dick?Ishmael compares t

21、he legend of Moby Dick to his experience of the whale. He notes that sperm whale attacks have increased recently and that superstitious sailors have come to regard these attacks as having an intelligent, even supernatural origin. In particular, wild rumors about Moby Dick circulate among whalemen, s

22、uggesting that he can be in more than one place at the same time and that he is immortal. Ishmael remarks that even the wildest of rumors usually contains some truth. Whales, for instance, have been known to travel with remarkable speed from the Atlantic to the Pacific; thus, it is possible for a wh

23、ale to be caught in the Pacific with the harpoons of a Greenland ship in it.Moby Dick, who has defied capture numerous times, exhibits an “intelligent malignity”（狠毒） in his attacks on men2.Why does Ahab react so violently against the white whale?First, he lost one of his legs because of the white wh

24、ale.Second,He considers Moby Dick the embodiment of evil in the world, and he pursues the White Whale，because he believes it his inescapable fate to destroy this evil.Ishmael suggests that Ahab is “crazy”and call him “a raving lunatic.” Do you agree with him? Why or why not?Ishmael describes Ahab as

25、 mad in his narration, and it does indeed seem mad to try to fight the forces of nature or God. 3. What narrative features can you find in the selected chapter?In the selected charpter, Melville employed the technique of multiple view of his narrative to portray Moby Dick to achieve the effect of am

26、biguity and let readers judge the meaning.Unit 6 Henry David Thoreau1.Where indeed did Thoreau live, both at a physical level and at a spiritual level?He lived in a cabin on Walden Pond, which belonged to Emersons property.2.Had Thoreau ever bought a farm? Why did he enjoy the act of buying?No, he h

27、adnt. He avoided purchasing a farm because it would inevitably tie him down financially and complicate his life. Thoreau didnt see the acquisition of wealth as the goal for human existence, he saw the goal of life to be an exploration of the mind and of the magnificent world around us. He regarded t

28、he places as an existence free of obligations and full of leisure.3.Is it significant that Thoreau mentioned the Fourth of July as the day on which he began to stay in the woods? Why?Yes, it is.Because The Fourth of July is known as Independence Day,the birthday ot the United States.Here Thoreau use

29、s the day to express his beginning of  regeneration at Walden.It also means a symbol of his conquest of being. 4.How could you answer the question Thoreau asked at the end of this selection?Unit 7 19th Century American Poets 1. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1) I Shot an Arrow 1. Why did the

30、speaker lose sight of his arrow and song? The arrow flies too swiftly and too far away to be seen by the speaker; whereas the song is naturally invisible. 2. In what circumstances did he find them again? He finds them unexpectedly years later from the trunk of a tree and the heart of a friend. 3. Wh

31、at do arrow and song stand for in this poem? The images of arrow and song here may stand for friendship. (2) A Psalm of Life 1. What kind of person is the speaker of this poem? The speaker is a man of action, always optimistic and cheerful, trying to achieve as much as possible in the short span of

32、life. 2. According to the poem, how should our lives be led to overcome the fact that each day brings us nearer to death? We should work harder and live happier. 3. Interpret the metaphor of "Footprints on the sand of time" (line 28). The metaphor refers to human deeds in real life. 2. Wal

33、t Whitman (1)One's Self I Sing 1. What is the significance of singing about one's self? It is an exaltation of the individual spirit, which is typical of American people. 2. What is the difference between physiology and physiognomy? Physiology is a science that deals with the functions and l

34、ife process of human beings, whereas physiognomy refers to an art of judging character from contours of face itself or the appearance of a person. 3. What does Whitman mean by the term of "the Modern Man"? He means that a man should be free from any prejudice and pride, totally different f

35、rom the traditional one, that is full of bias. (3) O Captain! My Captain! 1. Why is the word "Captain" capitalized throughout the poem? In this poem the word “Captain” specially refers to Abraham Lincoln, president of the United States. 2. What overall metaphor does the poet employ in this

36、 poem? Life is a journey. 3. Why do people on the shores exult and bells ring, while the speaker remains so sad? They welcome the ship returning from its hard trip, whereas the speaker is sad because the captain fails to receive his own honor. 3.Emily Dickinson (1) To Make a Prairie 1. What things a

37、re needed to "make" a prairie? In what sense can one really do it? Some grass and insects and small animals. People can make a prairie with their imagination. 2. How can "revery alone" create a prairie? The prairie stays in one's mind. (2) Success Is Counted Sweetest 1. Why i

38、s success "counted sweetest by those who ne'er succeed"? Those who have tasted the bitterness of failure would have a keener desire for success. 2. Who are "the purple host"? The so-called successful people in the world. 3. Who is "he" in the last stanza? Anyone who

39、 is pursuing his success. (3) I'm Nobody! 1. Who are the "pair of us" and "they" in this poem? The "pair of us" refers to the speaker in the poem and the reader, and "they" refers to the public, especially those in power. 2. What does "an admiring bog

40、" really mean?" (line 28). It Implies the vain and empty common people, who are always admiring and pursuing the celebrities. 3. What is the theme of this poem? The real admirable life is a secluded and common one. 4. Do you want to be "nobody" or "somebody"? Explain yo

41、ur reasons. Different persons would have different answers to this question. Personally, I prefer to be nobody.Unit 8 Mark Twain1: Why do you think Mr.Wheeler is so eager to tell these stories? From Mr.Wheelers behaviors and contents of his narration we can know he is so eager to tell these stories.

42、First, when "I" asked him to tell "me" something about W.Smiley, he “ backed me into a corner and blockaded me with his chair, and then sat down and reeled off the narrative”. And during the process of telling his stories, he never paid any attention to others'response to his

43、 story and just went on telling what amused him. At last when the listener felt boring and wanted to leave, Mr.Wheeler even didn't notice it and still asked him to sit there listening to him.2: Does his audience share his enthusiasm in telling the stories? No. the audience does not show any inte

44、rest in Mr.Wheeler stories. In fact, the narrator was very feverish about his stories, but ,in the eyes of the listener,the stories were very boring and had nothing to do with his preoccupation. As an educated man, the listener couldn't understand the way of laborers for joy, and he would never

45、bother himself to understand it. So after the long time of Mr.Wheeler solo narration and when the audience got a chance, he fled away. 3: Do you think the narrator and his listener ever suspect the presence of humor? Why? How do you interpret their interactions? The narrator and his listener never n

46、oticed or suspected the presence of humor.During the intercourse,the narrator went vigorously on his monotonous narrative "wihout a little smiling" talking about the animals and the things like ,while the listener felt rather puzzled or bothered by his stories.It seemed to be kind of coars

47、e things. So the two different scenes go on separately without a intersection.And their interaction was a complete failure according toour common sense about communication.But it in this sense produced the effect of humor which can be tasted by our readers due to the skills adopted by Mark Twain .Un

48、it 14 F·Scott Fitzgerald1.Do you think Gatsby deserves to be called “the great”? Why? （1）I think it is too complicated to simply say Gatsby deserves to be great or not.For one thing, Gatsby was ambitious, hardworking, generous and passionate. He was so extremely loyal to his love and Daisy that

49、 he could do anything to get Daisy back: he did shady business to earn money and social position; he threw luxurious parties just to draw Daisys attention; he could take the blame for a death that he did not cause.（2）In this respect, he is much greater than his contemporaries. For another thing, Gat

50、sby never realized that Daisy wasnt the girl he loved anymore. Gatsby was so innocent that he staked everything on his dreams, not realizing that his dreams are unworthy of him. He wasnt sober enough to be great. 2.Does “the green light” Gatsby believed in exist in reality? Why or why not ? （1）I thi

51、nk the green light does not exist in reality. Because the green light which situated at the end of Daisys East Egg dock and barely visible from West Egg lawn represents Gatsbys unattainable dream. Although the color itself can be seen as hope and bright future, Gatsbys quest for Daisy back is doomed

52、 to be impossible. Daisy lived in a material world without being real, where poor ghosts, breathing dream like air.（2）After five years when Gatsby met Daisy again, the miracle Daisy had lost her original glory. Therefore, there is no delaying that Gatsbys dream would not come true. In the novel, the

53、 green light not only represents that innocent Gatsby looked forward to the future, but also means his longing for the history his happy past with Daisy. The distinction between ideal and reality was huge. As if American dream between golden past and golden future always suffered from the realistic

54、betrayal and crush. 3.What does Gatsbys Schedule reveal about him and how does it relate to the American Dream? （1）The schedule is a reflection of Gatsbys determination and ambition. It reveals that he is hard on himself in pursuit of his goalto be an upper-class man.（2）On one hand, we can know that

55、 he is persistent in pursuing his American Dream- to attain wealth and happiness through his struggle. On the other hand, he is too idealistic and naive.（3）He tries his best to make money and learns everything required to be an upper-class man so that he can get access to his beloved girl.Money is i

56、mportant，but there are other barriers difficult to penetrate. The girl he loves is as vulgar and superficial as others in her circle, she is unable to meets Gatsbys romantic fantasy. So his dream is destined to shatter, which indicates the disillusion of American Dream. 4.When you read the line “He

57、(the man with owl-eyed glasses) took off his glasses and wiped them again, outside and in ,” what images does it create in your mind, given the novels numerous references to the strikingly strange scene of the spectacled eyes? （1）From this line , superficially, owl-eyes is a person with thick and bl

58、urry glasses who can not see clearly all the things in the world. However, we know he is actually an owl-wise observer and sees more clearly than anyone else in the novel. Owl-Eyes, except Nick, is the only friend to appear at the rain-soaked burial of Gatsby, when others are unwilling to come. He f

59、eels sympathy for Gatsbys tragedy.（2）After reading this line, I cannot help thinking of the Dr.Eckleburg billboard with its huge yellow spectacles in this novel. In many rainy days, Dr. Eckleburgs eyes are also dimmed and seem blind. But in fact this is a pair of "all-seeing" eyes. The Owl-Eyed Man is similar to Dr. Eckleburg, sadly looking at the peoples life and idealism of this time. Bot