Literary Analysis of a Play
Passage: From Fences by August Wilson
(The front door opens and TROY enters, coming from the hospital. He is dressed in a suit and tie, a new overcoat, and is carrying a bouquet of flowers. He is jovial and a little drunk. ROSE enters after him.)
TROY: I’m telling you, Rose… that woman is a queen! A queen! You ought to see her. She’s got a smile that lights up the whole room. ROSE: (Weary) You been talking about that woman for three days, Troy. That smile is a sign she's tired. She just had a baby. TROY: Tired? Naw, she ain’t tired. She’s strong. Like a rock. And that little baby, he gonna be a star. I told her… I said, “Alberta, you rest up now. I got everything handled.” ROSE: (Sits heavily on the couch) What did you tell her, Troy? The baby's name is Raynell. She’s my baby now. TROY: (Stops, his jovial mood faltering slightly) Yeah, yeah. Raynell. That’s what I told her. See, Rose… a man don’t have but so much to give. He works all his life… puts his sweat and blood into providing… but there’s a part of him that ain’t never satisfied. That part that’s hungry. I was trying to fill up that empty place.
How can the mood established by the dialogue and stage directions in this excerpt best be described?
A. Serene
B. Tense
C. Comical
D. Indifferent
B. Tense
Passage: From Fences by August Wilson
(The front door opens and TROY enters, coming from the hospital. He is dressed in a suit and tie, a new overcoat, and is carrying a bouquet of flowers. He is jovial and a little drunk. ROSE enters after him.)
TROY: I’m telling you, Rose… that woman is a queen! A queen! You ought to see her. She’s got a smile that lights up the whole room. ROSE: (Weary) You been talking about that woman for three days, Troy. That smile is a sign she's tired. She just had a baby. TROY: Tired? Naw, she ain’t tired. She’s strong. Like a rock. And that little baby, he gonna be a star. I told her… I said, “Alberta, you rest up now. I got everything handled.” ROSE: (Sits heavily on the couch) What did you tell her, Troy? The baby's name is Raynell. She’s my baby now. TROY: (Stops, his jovial mood faltering slightly) Yeah, yeah. Raynell. That’s what I told her. See, Rose… a man don’t have but so much to give. He works all his life… puts his sweat and blood into providing… but there’s a part of him that ain’t never satisfied. That part that’s hungry. I was trying to fill up that empty place.
Which statement best describes the shift in Troy’s characterization throughout the scene?
A. He moves from being anxious to being determined.
B. He transitions from being humble to being arrogant.
C. He changes from being jovial and defensive to being introspective and vulnerable.
D. He shifts from being secretive to being completely honest.
C. He changes from being jovial and defensive to being introspective and vulnerable.
We wear the mask that grins and lies,
It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes,—
This debt we pay to human guile;
With torn and bleeding hearts we smile,
And mouth with myriad subtleties.
Why should the world be over-wise,
In counting all our tears and sighs?
Nay, let them only see us, while
We wear the mask.
We smile,
but, O great Christ,
our cries To thee from tortured souls arise.
We sing, but oh the clay is vile
Beneath our feet, and long the mile;
But let the world dream otherwise,
We wear the mask!
The literal imagery of a "mask that grins and lies" primarily contributes to the poem's theme of:
A. The joy of performance.
B. The importance of fashion.
C. The necessity of hiding one's true suffering.
D. The fear of old age.
C. The necessity of hiding one's true suffering.
Which sentence correctly uses the simple past tense of the irregular verb to speak?
A. He has spoke to the committee yesterday.
B. He had spoken to the committee yesterday.
C. He speaks to the committee yesterday.
D. He spoke to the committee yesterday.
D. He spoke to the committee yesterday.
Which of the following is the most effective way to introduce a literary analysis essay?
A. Beginning with a personal anecdote about reading.
B. Starting with a quote from the text that is impactful.
C. Opening with a clear thesis statement that establishes the argument and its focus.
C. Opening with a clear thesis statement that establishes the argument and its focus.
Passage: From Fences by August Wilson
(The front door opens and TROY enters, coming from the hospital. He is dressed in a suit and tie, a new overcoat, and is carrying a bouquet of flowers. He is jovial and a little drunk. ROSE enters after him.)
TROY: I’m telling you, Rose… that woman is a queen! A queen! You ought to see her. She’s got a smile that lights up the whole room. ROSE: (Weary) You been talking about that woman for three days, Troy. That smile is a sign she's tired. She just had a baby. TROY: Tired? Naw, she ain’t tired. She’s strong. Like a rock. And that little baby, he gonna be a star. I told her… I said, “Alberta, you rest up now. I got everything handled.” ROSE: (Sits heavily on the couch) What did you tell her, Troy? The baby's name is Raynell. She’s my baby now. TROY: (Stops, his jovial mood faltering slightly) Yeah, yeah. Raynell. That’s what I told her. See, Rose… a man don’t have but so much to give. He works all his life… puts his sweat and blood into providing… but there’s a part of him that ain’t never satisfied. That part that’s hungry. I was trying to fill up that empty place.
The stage direction "(Stops, his jovial mood faltering slightly)" suggests that Troy is experiencing a momentary feeling of:
A. Confusion
B. Elation
C. Guilt
D. Anger
C. Guilt
Passage: From Fences by August Wilson
(The front door opens and TROY enters, coming from the hospital. He is dressed in a suit and tie, a new overcoat, and is carrying a bouquet of flowers. He is jovial and a little drunk. ROSE enters after him.)
TROY: I’m telling you, Rose… that woman is a queen! A queen! You ought to see her. She’s got a smile that lights up the whole room. ROSE: (Weary) You been talking about that woman for three days, Troy. That smile is a sign she's tired. She just had a baby. TROY: Tired? Naw, she ain’t tired. She’s strong. Like a rock. And that little baby, he gonna be a star. I told her… I said, “Alberta, you rest up now. I got everything handled.” ROSE: (Sits heavily on the couch) What did you tell her, Troy? The baby's name is Raynell. She’s my baby now. TROY: (Stops, his jovial mood faltering slightly) Yeah, yeah. Raynell. That’s what I told her. See, Rose… a man don’t have but so much to give. He works all his life… puts his sweat and blood into providing… but there’s a part of him that ain’t never satisfied. That part that’s hungry. I was trying to fill up that empty place.
Rose's weary tone and heavy sigh ("Weary," "Sits heavily on the couch") contribute to a mood of:
A. Suspense and excitement.
B. Resignation and sadness.
C. Confusion and panic.
D. Joy and relief.
B. Resignation and sadness.
Poem: From "We Wear the Mask" by Paul Laurence Dunbar
We wear the mask that grins and lies,
It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes,—
This debt we pay to human guile;
With torn and bleeding hearts we smile,
And mouth with myriad subtleties.
Why should the world be over-wise,
In counting all our tears and sighs?
Nay, let them only see us, while
We wear the mask.
We smile,
but, O great Christ,
our cries To thee from tortured souls arise.
We sing, but oh the clay is vile
Beneath our feet, and long the mile;
But let the world dream otherwise,
We wear the mask!
The phrase "torn and bleeding hearts we smile" is an example of which literary device?
A. Hyperbole
B. Alliteration
C. Paradox/Contradiction
D. Onomatopoeia
C. Paradox/Contradiction
Which sentence demonstrates proper verb tense consistency?
A. She cleans the kitchen and then cooked dinner.
B. She cleaned the kitchen and then cooks dinner.
C. She cleaned the kitchen and then cooked dinner.
D. She cleaning the kitchen and then cooked dinner.
C. She cleaned the kitchen and then cooked dinner.
When analyzing multiple literary sources, which organizational strategy is most effective?
A. Discussing each source one by one without making connections.
B. Listing every quote used from each source in separate paragraphs.
C. Comparing and contrasting themesacross sources to support your argument.
D. Focusing on summarizing each source.
C. Comparing and contrasting themesacross sources to support your argument.
Passage: From Fences by August Wilson
(The front door opens and TROY enters, coming from the hospital. He is dressed in a suit and tie, a new overcoat, and is carrying a bouquet of flowers. He is jovial and a little drunk. ROSE enters after him.)
TROY: I’m telling you, Rose… that woman is a queen! A queen! You ought to see her. She’s got a smile that lights up the whole room. ROSE: (Weary) You been talking about that woman for three days, Troy. That smile is a sign she's tired. She just had a baby. TROY: Tired? Naw, she ain’t tired. She’s strong. Like a rock. And that little baby, he gonna be a star. I told her… I said, “Alberta, you rest up now. I got everything handled.” ROSE: (Sits heavily on the couch) What did you tell her, Troy? The baby's name is Raynell. She’s my baby now. TROY: (Stops, his jovial mood faltering slightly) Yeah, yeah. Raynell. That’s what I told her. See, Rose… a man don’t have but so much to give. He works all his life… puts his sweat and blood into providing… but there’s a part of him that ain’t never satisfied. That part that’s hungry. I was trying to fill up that empty place.
Troy’s statement, “That part that’s hungry. I was trying to fill up that empty place,” best reflects a theme of:
A. The importance of family loyalty.
B. The pursuit of financial wealth.
C. The difficulty of accepting aging.
D. The search for personal fulfillment outside of prescribed roles.
D. The search for personal fulfillment outside of prescribed roles.
Passage: From Fences by August Wilson
(The front door opens and TROY enters, coming from the hospital. He is dressed in a suit and tie, a new overcoat, and is carrying a bouquet of flowers. He is jovial and a little drunk. ROSE enters after him.)
TROY: I’m telling you, Rose… that woman is a queen! A queen! You ought to see her. She’s got a smile that lights up the whole room. ROSE: (Weary) You been talking about that woman for three days, Troy. That smile is a sign she's tired. She just had a baby. TROY: Tired? Naw, she ain’t tired. She’s strong. Like a rock. And that little baby, he gonna be a star. I told her… I said, “Alberta, you rest up now. I got everything handled.” ROSE: (Sits heavily on the couch) What did you tell her, Troy? The baby's name is Raynell. She’s my baby now. TROY: (Stops, his jovial mood faltering slightly) Yeah, yeah. Raynell. That’s what I told her. See, Rose… a man don’t have but so much to give. He works all his life… puts his sweat and blood into providing… but there’s a part of him that ain’t never satisfied. That part that’s hungry. I was trying to fill up that empty place.
Troy's repeated use of the words "queen," "strong," and "star" when describing Alberta and the baby, coupled with his confession, reveals his:
A. Simple desire to make his wife feel better.
B. Internal conflict between his pride and his deep-seated dissatisfaction.
C. Belief in fate and destiny.
D. Confusion about the family's financial situation.
B. Internal conflict between his pride and his deep-seated dissatisfaction.
Poem: From "We Wear the Mask" by Paul Laurence Dunbar
We wear the mask that grins and lies,
It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes,—
This debt we pay to human guile;
With torn and bleeding hearts we smile,
And mouth with myriad subtleties.
Why should the world be over-wise,
In counting all our tears and sighs?
Nay, let them only see us, while
We wear the mask.
We smile,
but, O great Christ,
our cries To thee from tortured souls arise.
We sing, but oh the clay is vile
Beneath our feet, and long the mile;
But let the world dream otherwise,
We wear the mask!
What is the rhyme scheme of the first stanza (Lines 1-5)?
A. AABBC
B. ABABC
C. AABBA
D. ABCDE
C. AABBA
Which sentence is written in the active voice?
A. The mechanic repaired the engine quickly.
B. A new policy was implemented by the company.
C. The novel was reviewed by the critic.
D. The ball was thrown over the fence.
A. The mechanic repaired the engine quickly.
A student needs to strengthen their conclusion. Which strategy provides the strongest concluding statement?
A. Introducing a final piece of evidence.
B. Restating the thesis using the exact wording as the introduction.
C. Summarizing the main arguments and significance.
D. Ending with a lighthearted joke or personal observation.
C. Summarizing the main arguments and significance.
Passage: From Fences by August Wilson
(The front door opens and TROY enters, coming from the hospital. He is dressed in a suit and tie, a new overcoat, and is carrying a bouquet of flowers. He is jovial and a little drunk. ROSE enters after him.)
TROY: I’m telling you, Rose… that woman is a queen! A queen! You ought to see her. She’s got a smile that lights up the whole room. ROSE: (Weary) You been talking about that woman for three days, Troy. That smile is a sign she's tired. She just had a baby. TROY: Tired? Naw, she ain’t tired. She’s strong. Like a rock. And that little baby, he gonna be a star. I told her… I said, “Alberta, you rest up now. I got everything handled.” ROSE: (Sits heavily on the couch) What did you tell her, Troy? The baby's name is Raynell. She’s my baby now. TROY: (Stops, his jovial mood faltering slightly) Yeah, yeah. Raynell. That’s what I told her. See, Rose… a man don’t have but so much to give. He works all his life… puts his sweat and blood into providing… but there’s a part of him that ain’t never satisfied. That part that’s hungry. I was trying to fill up that empty place.
Which of the following literary devices is primarily used in the line, “She’s strong. Like a rock”?
A. Metaphor
B. Simile
C. Allusion
D. Hyperbole
B. Simile
Passage: From Fences by August Wilson
(The front door opens and TROY enters, coming from the hospital. He is dressed in a suit and tie, a new overcoat, and is carrying a bouquet of flowers. He is jovial and a little drunk. ROSE enters after him.)
TROY: I’m telling you, Rose… that woman is a queen! A queen! You ought to see her. She’s got a smile that lights up the whole room. ROSE: (Weary) You been talking about that woman for three days, Troy. That smile is a sign she's tired. She just had a baby. TROY: Tired? Naw, she ain’t tired. She’s strong. Like a rock. And that little baby, he gonna be a star. I told her… I said, “Alberta, you rest up now. I got everything handled.” ROSE: (Sits heavily on the couch) What did you tell her, Troy? The baby's name is Raynell. She’s my baby now. TROY: (Stops, his jovial mood faltering slightly) Yeah, yeah. Raynell. That’s what I told her. See, Rose… a man don’t have but so much to give. He works all his life… puts his sweat and blood into providing… but there’s a part of him that ain’t never satisfied. That part that’s hungry. I was trying to fill up that empty place.
What is the dramatic function of Rose correcting Troy with, "The baby's name is Raynell. She’s my baby now"?
A. It serves as comic relief by showing Troy's drunkenness.
B. It foreshadows a future argument over financial support.
C. It marks the climax of Rose's emotional acceptance of the situation and her assertion of control over the child's future.
D. It highlights Rose's confusion about the baby's actual name.
C. It marks the climax of Rose's emotional acceptance of the situation and her assertion of control over the child's future.
We wear the mask that grins and lies,
It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes,—
This debt we pay to human guile;
With torn and bleeding hearts we smile,
And mouth with myriad subtleties.
Why should the world be over-wise,
In counting all our tears and sighs?
Nay, let them only see us, while
We wear the mask.
We smile,
but, O great Christ,
our cries To thee from tortured souls arise.
We sing, but oh the clay is vile
Beneath our feet, and long the mile;
But let the world dream otherwise,
We wear the mask!
The rhetorical question, "Why should the world be over-wise, / In counting all our tears and sighs?" develops a mood of:
A. Confidence
B. Resentment
C. Anticipation
D. Amusement
B. Resentment
Which sentence correctly uses the present perfect form of the irregular verb to ride?
A. We have rode our bikes all morning.
B. We has rid our bikes all morning.
C. We have ridden our bikes all morning.
D. We have rided our bikes all morning.
C. We have ridden our bikes all morning.
To maintain an appropriate academic style and audience awareness in a literary analysis, a student should:
A. Maintain consistent, formal academic diction while engaging with complex ideas.
B. Write as if they are texting a friend about the text.
C. Use conversational language throughout to engage the reader in the content.
D. Include text-speak and emojis for emphasis.
A. Maintain consistent, formal academic diction while engaging with complex ideas.
Passage: From Fences by August Wilson
(The front door opens and TROY enters, coming from the hospital. He is dressed in a suit and tie, a new overcoat, and is carrying a bouquet of flowers. He is jovial and a little drunk. ROSE enters after him.)
TROY: I’m telling you, Rose… that woman is a queen! A queen! You ought to see her. She’s got a smile that lights up the whole room. ROSE: (Weary) You been talking about that woman for three days, Troy. That smile is a sign she's tired. She just had a baby. TROY: Tired? Naw, she ain’t tired. She’s strong. Like a rock. And that little baby, he gonna be a star. I told her… I said, “Alberta, you rest up now. I got everything handled.” ROSE: (Sits heavily on the couch) What did you tell her, Troy? The baby's name is Raynell. She’s my baby now. TROY: (Stops, his jovial mood faltering slightly) Yeah, yeah. Raynell. That’s what I told her. See, Rose… a man don’t have but so much to give. He works all his life… puts his sweat and blood into providing… but there’s a part of him that ain’t never satisfied. That part that’s hungry. I was trying to fill up that empty place.
Which statement best describes the shift in Troy’s characterization throughout the scene?
A. He moves from being anxious to being determined.
B. He transitions from being humble to being arrogant.
C. He changes from being outwardly jovial and defensive to being momentarily introspective and vulnerable.
D. He shifts from being secretive to being completely honest.
C. He changes from being outwardly jovial and defensive to being momentarily introspective and vulnerable.
Passage: From Fences by August Wilson
(The front door opens and TROY enters, coming from the hospital. He is dressed in a suit and tie, a new overcoat, and is carrying a bouquet of flowers. He is jovial and a little drunk. ROSE enters after him.)
TROY: I’m telling you, Rose… that woman is a queen! A queen! You ought to see her. She’s got a smile that lights up the whole room. ROSE: (Weary) You been talking about that woman for three days, Troy. That smile is a sign she's tired. She just had a baby. TROY: Tired? Naw, she ain’t tired. She’s strong. Like a rock. And that little baby, he gonna be a star. I told her… I said, “Alberta, you rest up now. I got everything handled.” ROSE: (Sits heavily on the couch) What did you tell her, Troy? The baby's name is Raynell. She’s my baby now. TROY: (Stops, his jovial mood faltering slightly) Yeah, yeah. Raynell. That’s what I told her. See, Rose… a man don’t have but so much to give. He works all his life… puts his sweat and blood into providing… but there’s a part of him that ain’t never satisfied. That part that’s hungry. I was trying to fill up that empty place.
Troy's repeated use of the word "man" ("a man don't have but so much to give," "man, them takers is out there operating" - drawing from the thematic context of both Fences and A Raisin in the Sun) and his reference to "the man" (Lindner in A Raisin in the Sun) or his own identity in Fences often relates to the societal pressure and failure of:
A. Maintaining family traditions.
B. Achieving celebrity status.
C. Securing and asserting masculine identity.
D. Finding leisure time outside of work.
C. Securing and asserting masculine identity.
We wear the mask that grins and lies,
It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes,—
This debt we pay to human guile;
With torn and bleeding hearts we smile,
And mouth with myriad subtleties.
Why should the world be over-wise,
In counting all our tears and sighs?
Nay, let them only see us, while
We wear the mask.
We smile,
but, O great Christ,
our cries To thee from tortured souls arise.
We sing, but oh the clay is vile
Beneath our feet, and long the mile;
But let the world dream otherwise,
We wear the mask!
The repetition of the central phrase "We wear the mask" primarily functions to:
A. Change the poem’s meter.
B. Introduce a new character.
C. Emphasize the constant struggle.
D. Create an unpredictable rhythm.
C. Emphasize the constant struggle.
Which statement presents a correct verb tense sequence for a logical progression of time?
A. He wrote his essay, eats his lunch, and will leave school.
B. He writes his essay, ate his lunch, and will leave school.
C. He wrote his essay, ate his lunch, and will leave school.
D. He writing his essay, eats his lunch, and leaving school.
C. He wrote his essay, ate his lunch, and will leave school.
When an essay's argument shifts focus without a smooth transition, which revision technique should the writer prioritize?
A. Rewriting the conclusion to reflect the new direction.
B. Adding transitional words and phrases at the start of new paragraphs.
C. Increasing the amount of figurative language used in the body paragraphs.
D. Removing all direct quotes to simplify the argument.
B. Adding transitional words and phrases at the start of new paragraphs.