Trident's Literature Challenge Quiz

Answer: "Candide" by Voltaire

If the character Pangloss was not a giveaway for this question, then you might have recognized the phrase "best of all possible worlds", an idea that Voltaire made famous, though not because he supported it. The phrase was originally coined by German philosopher Gottfried Leibniz who supported ideas concerning optimism. Voltaire, however, vehemently rejected these ideas, and "Candide" satirically exhibits his sentiments.

Answer: Power (line 4) and art (line 7)

Prospero was a conjurer, whose wrath originally brought about the tempest which drew the others to the island on which he resides. He was a learned man, which allowed him to possess certain powers. In the passage, Prospero's power is what he considers his "art" and which he wants to vainly display to the others (the rabble) whom he orders his servant to fetch.

Answer: One of Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales"

"The Nun's Priest's Tale" is a mock epic that tells the story of the rooster Chanticleer, his wife Pertletote, and the crafty fox Sir Russell. Chanticleer has a dream about his death, which Pertletote dismisses as a case of indigestion. Later, the rooster is met by Sir Russell the fox, who exploits Chanticleer's vanity by telling him he would like to hear him sing, as his father had done before. The fox quickly grabs the rooster and is off with him.

Chanticleer later escapes by insisting the fox tell his pursuers to stop following him. Sir Russell becomes the vain one, and in his pride opens his mouth to taunt them. Chanticleer quickly escapes and flies up into a tree. Sir Russell attempts to trick the rooster again, but Chanticleer refuses, having learned his lesson.

Answer: Individualism

Closely associated with the literary movement transcendentalism, individualism focuses on the worth (moral or otherwise) of the individual. Individualism stresses independence and self-reliance from outer forces, such as societal or institutional pressures.

One of individualism's most important documents is Ralph Waldo Emerson's "Self-Reliance", which promotes non-conformity and the will to follow one's own instincts as opposed to those instituted upon us.

Answer: Gerard Manley Hopkins and John Donne

The first line is from Hopkins' "The Windhover" and the second is from Donne's "The Flea". Hopkins and Donne are both known for their poetry that expresses religious tones, as can be seen in "The Windhover". The poem "The Flea", however, was written in Donne's early years when his poetry focused more on themes of courtship than religious worship.

Answer: Psychoanalytic theory

Psychoanalytic theory and criticism most often discusses that which lies beneath conscious thoughts, and delves deeper into the mind. Key psychoanalytic terminology found in the passage above include the words "unconscious" and "Id", two concepts that are often seen in such criticisms.

Answer: Contrast and simile

The simile in this passage may be a simple find, but Marquez demonstrates multiple levels of contrast. Firstly, he contrasts the world of science and religion. The professionalism of the teacher's scientific background requires that he shakes hands with all those present before he performs a "sacramental" uncovering of a dead body.

This can be layered into a contrast between a stodgy (and perhaps utilitarian) function being performed in a somewhat Romantic fashion.

Answer: Charles II's infidelity during the Restoration

Dryden's "Absalom and Achitophel" is famously known to be a political satire addressing the Monmouth Rebellion. In the poem, David (who represents Charles II) has to quell a rebellion by Absalom (who represents the Duke of Monmouth, Charles' illegitimate son). Achitophel represents the Earl of Shaftesbury, who attempted to help the Duke of Monmouth onto the throne as opposed to the king's Catholic brother.

Answer: Thomas Carlyle

The Great Awakening was a religious revival in the U.S. which took place during the eighteenth century. It was said to take place in four different waves, the first of which was shaped largely by the preacher Jonathan Edwards in his church in Northampton MA. His most famous sermon, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God", is seen as a staple of American literature, and seeks to grab the attention of the listener through passionate and vivid argumentation.

Thomas Carlyle was a Scottish writer who is often associated with the Romantic movement.

Answer: "Crime and Punishment" by Fyodor Dostoevsky

Considered one of the finest minds in literary psychology, Dostoevsky does not disappoint with "Crime and Punishment". It follows the story of Rodion Raskolnikov, an ex-student who murders a pawnbroker as a means of testing his perceived intellectual and individual superiority. The detective Porfiry Petrovich eventually convinces him to confess through his mastery of psychological games.