Question 1

What typically are the subjects of blues songs?

Accepted Answer

Blues songs typically focus on themes of loss, injustice, and struggle, often reflecting on personal experiences of pain and suffering. While home, family, violence, and death may be referenced in some blues songs, they are not as central to the genre as themes of loss and injustice.

Question 2

According to the first-person narrator of Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby,what is Jay Gatsby's great tragedy?

Accepted Answer

The first-person narrator, Nick Carraway, states that Gatsby's great tragedy was "that of believing in the American Dream, the promise of self-creation and self-invention, and the possibility that anyone, no matter who they are or where they come from, can achieve success and greatness in America" (Chapter 9). Despite achieving wealth and status, Gatsby remained unfulfilled because his dream of winning back his former lover, Daisy, was ultimately unattainable.

Question 3

According to W.E.B.Du Bois,what major problem did African Americans face at the turn of the century?

Accepted Answer

W.E.B. Du Bois introduced the concept of "double-consciousness" to describe the internal conflict experienced by African Americans, who had to reconcile their African heritage with their American citizenship, leading to a sense of divided identity.

Question 4

What artistic movement do the quilts of Gee's Bend,AL,resemble?

Accepted Answer

The quilts of Gee's Bend, AL, are best described as belonging to the modern abstract movement due to their use of improvisation, asymmetry, and bold colors and shapes. They are not representative of impressionism, cubism, or fauvism, as these movements have distinct stylistic elements that are absent in the quilts.

Question 5

Why does New York Coty's Chrysler Building have stainless steel eagle gargoyles?

Accepted Answer

The stainless steel eagle gargoyles on the Chrysler Building replicate the Chrysler hood ornament.

Question 6

Why was Frank Lloyd Wright's inclusion in the International Style exhibition of 1922 ironic?

Accepted Answer

Frank Lloyd Wright was known for his criticism of the International Style, which he felt was too rigid and lacked the organic principles he valued in architecture.

Question 7

Why is William Faulkner's The Sound and the Fury considered one of the most daring uses of stream of consciousness in modern fiction?

Accepted Answer

The novel is considered daring because one of its narrators, Benjy, is intellectually disabled, which presents a unique and challenging perspective through stream of consciousness.

Question 8

Why did Frank Lloyd Wright dislike the International Style?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Why did Frank Lloyd Wright dislike the...

Question 9

What do skyscrapers,a distinct American invention,predominantly symbolize?

Accepted Answer

Skyscrapers predominantly symbolize corporate power and prestige, as they are often constructed by large corporations and serve as headquarters or office buildings for businesses.

Question 10

Why was Ernest Hemingway judged unfit for military service in World War I?

Accepted Answer

Hemingway was rejected for military service due to poor eyesight. He tried to enlist in both the American and Italian armies during World War I, but was deemed unfit for service.

Question 11

What types of subjects did William Carlos Williams use for his poems?

Accepted Answer

William Carlos Williams often used commonplace, everyday subjects as inspiration for his poems. He was known for finding beauty in the ordinary and mundane aspects of life.

Question 12

Who coined the phrase "Jazz Age" to describe 1920s America?

Accepted Answer

F. Scott Fitzgerald is credited with coining the term "Jazz Age" in his 1922 collection of essays entitled "Tales of the Jazz Age."

Question 13

How did George Gershwin's Porgy and Bess bridge the gap between popular and high culture?

Accepted Answer

The answer of How did George Gershwin's Porgy and Bess...

Question 14

How did New York's white population support the Harlem cultural resurgence?

Accepted Answer

The white population of New York supported the Harlem cultural resurgence by buying art created by African American artists and by frequenting nightclubs and other performance venues in Harlem. This financial support helped the cultural movement thrive and gain national attention. While investment in black-owned businesses and financing the revitalization of Harlem apartments may have helped the community as a whole, these actions were not specifically tied to supporting the Harlem cultural movement. Supporting black-owned publication houses may have also been helpful, but it is not mentioned in the given context.

Question 15

Why were whites stunned during the 1919 "Red Summer" riots?

Accepted Answer

Whites were stunned during the 1919 "Red Summer" riots because blacks fought back. This was in contrast to previous instances of racial violence where blacks had been mostly passive or unable to defend themselves. The fact that blacks were willing to fight back and retaliate against white aggression was a new and unsettling development for many white Americans.

Question 16

What characterized the new architecture known as the International Style?

Accepted Answer

The International Style was characterized by plain geometries and austere design, focusing on functionality and a lack of ornamentation. It rejected historical architectural styles and embraced modern technology and materials.

Question 17

How did Bessie Smith distinguish her blues songs?

Accepted Answer

Bessie Smith is known for adding a chromatic note before a line's last note in her blues songs, which created a sense of tension and anticipation for the listener.

Question 18

Why was the white-audience-only club in Harlem named the Cotton Club?

Accepted Answer

The Cotton Club was named after cotton, a staple crop produced by slave labor in the American South. The name evoked the image of leisurely plantation life, which was appealing to the white audiences who frequented the club. However, the club exclusively hired black performers and staff, who were often stereotypically portrayed as happy, carefree, and subservient.

Question 19

Why did Charles Steeler title his painting of the Ford factory Classical Landscape?

Accepted Answer

Charles Steeler titled his painting of the Ford factory "Classical Landscape" because he believed that the factory's architecture resembled classical Greek and Roman structures.

Question 20

Which of the following is not a reason African Americans migrated from the South in the 1920s?

Accepted Answer

Education opportunities were not a primary reason for the migration; the main reasons were economic opportunities and escaping racial discrimination.

Quiz 35: New York skyscraper Culture and the Jazz Age: Making It New