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Quiz about Early American Literature
Quiz about Early American Literature

Early American Literature Trivia Quiz


This quiz is about stories from American Literature before 1900. The pictures may provide clues. Happy reading!

A photo quiz by PootyPootwell. Estimated time: 3 mins.
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Time
3 mins
Type
Photo Quiz
Quiz #
383,242
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Very Easy
Avg Score
9 / 10
Plays
1697
Awards
Top 35% Quiz
Last 3 plays: Guest 99 (10/10), Guest 63 (9/10), Guest 51 (10/10).
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Question 1 of 10
1. Edgar Allan Poe lived just 40 years, but he left an indelible mark on American literature, especially with regards to mystery writing. One of his most popular stories included the nightmare of being buried alive. Can you name it? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. "The Red Badge of Courage" by Stephen Crane follows the story of a soldier in despair. What war was this soldier fighting in? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. Published in 1852, this novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe has been credited with galvanizing the abolitionist movement. The story follows the perils faced by people trying to flee the shackles of slavery. Can you name the book? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. In Hawthorne's "The Scarlet Letter," seamstress Hester Prynne sinned, and she was forced to wear a letter on her blouse at all times to indicate her crime. What was the letter?

Answer: (one letter only)
Question 5 of 10
5. In 1899, Frank Norris published a novel about a dentist facing dire financial problems. It was called "McTeague: A Story of ________." A city name goes in the blank. Can you name? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. Published in 1851, one of Nathaniel Hawthorne's novels follows the ongoing bad luck of residents living in a gloomy old house. Can you name the book? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. In 1898, Henry James published a gothic novella about a governess and her concerns about her charges' interactions with possible ghosts. Can you name this story? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. No quiz on American literature would be complete without a question about Herman Melville's classic story set on the high seas. Can you name it? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. What is the name of the much-beloved story of the March family, written by Louise May Alcott? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. This book by Mark Twain has been called the greatest American novel. It follows the adventures of a boy and a runaway slave as they float down the Mississippi. Can you name it? Hint



Most Recent Scores
Today : Guest 99: 10/10
Oct 29 2024 : Guest 63: 9/10
Oct 27 2024 : Guest 51: 10/10
Oct 26 2024 : pusdoc: 10/10
Oct 21 2024 : bocrow000: 10/10
Oct 21 2024 : moonlightxx: 10/10
Oct 13 2024 : HumblePie7: 9/10
Oct 07 2024 : zevan: 10/10
Sep 27 2024 : Guest 101: 10/10

Score Distribution

quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Edgar Allan Poe lived just 40 years, but he left an indelible mark on American literature, especially with regards to mystery writing. One of his most popular stories included the nightmare of being buried alive. Can you name it?

Answer: The Cask of Amontillado

Set in Italy during carnival season, "The Cask of Amontillado" is a murder story rich with local color and Gothic details. His other works include the stories "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" and "The Tell-Tale Heart" as well as the poems "The Raven" and "Annabel Lee".
2. "The Red Badge of Courage" by Stephen Crane follows the story of a soldier in despair. What war was this soldier fighting in?

Answer: U.S. Civil War

Private Henry Fielding was a soldier in the U.S. Union Army which fought the Confederate Army during the American Civil War, 1861-1865. Crane himself was born in 1871, but critics agreed he wrote about the Civil War with great precision and praised the book for its realism.
3. Published in 1852, this novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe has been credited with galvanizing the abolitionist movement. The story follows the perils faced by people trying to flee the shackles of slavery. Can you name the book?

Answer: Uncle Tom's Cabin

"Uncle Tom's Cabin" has received mixed reviews since its publication. Some critics have lauded its anti-slavery stance, while others criticize it for perpetuating racist stereotypes. For a time, she was neighbors with another major American writer, Mark Twain, in Hartford, Connecticut.
4. In Hawthorne's "The Scarlet Letter," seamstress Hester Prynne sinned, and she was forced to wear a letter on her blouse at all times to indicate her crime. What was the letter?

Answer: A

Although never explicitly stated in the novel, most readers assume the scarlet letter "A" stood for adultery, as that's what Hester was found guilty of. She didn't have much of a defense, considering she gave birth to a child while her husband had been abroad for two years.
5. In 1899, Frank Norris published a novel about a dentist facing dire financial problems. It was called "McTeague: A Story of ________." A city name goes in the blank. Can you name?

Answer: San Francisco

The city of San Francisco adds a lively setting to the rather depressing tale of the slow-witted dentist McTeague, who devolves into jealousy, greed, and poverty. In 2008, McTeague's Saloon opened on Polk Street, with a large golden tooth hanging above its door in homage to its namesake character.
6. Published in 1851, one of Nathaniel Hawthorne's novels follows the ongoing bad luck of residents living in a gloomy old house. Can you name the book?

Answer: The House of the Seven Gables

"The House of Seven Gables" was built on purloined land and its original owner cursed it before being executed for practicing witchcraft. Tragedies follow for everyone who lives there. It's rather clear why Hawthorne is considered a Dark Romantic.
7. In 1898, Henry James published a gothic novella about a governess and her concerns about her charges' interactions with possible ghosts. Can you name this story?

Answer: The Turn of the Screw

"The Turn of the Screw" offers an interesting example of the possibly unreliable narrator. Born in New York, James, whose brother was the famous psychologist William James, spent much of his life in the United Kingdom, eventually becoming a British subject before he died in Chelsea.
8. No quiz on American literature would be complete without a question about Herman Melville's classic story set on the high seas. Can you name it?

Answer: Moby-Dick

The full name of Melville's class is "Moby-Dick; or, The Whale". It depicts the destructive power of vengeance as well the very detailed intricacies of the use of whaling lines and sailor knots.
9. What is the name of the much-beloved story of the March family, written by Louise May Alcott?

Answer: Little Women

"Little Women" was loosely based on Alcott's own family and was an immediate success with readers. Unbeknownst to those readers, Alcott was also writing thrillers under the pen name "A.M. Barnard." Alcott had a rich childhood, with her transcendentalist parents often socializing with major American writers such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Henry David Thoreau.
10. This book by Mark Twain has been called the greatest American novel. It follows the adventures of a boy and a runaway slave as they float down the Mississippi. Can you name it?

Answer: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

"Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" was met with mixed reviews at the time, with critics citing it for vulgar language. But it remains an important work for its depiction of slavery, race relations, and friendship. As Ernest Hemingway declared, "All modern American literature comes from [Huck Finn]".
Source: Author PootyPootwell

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor looney_tunes before going online.
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