Academic Decathlon Literature Practice Test

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• Arnold Rothstein is historically linked to fixing which event in 1919?
• Which commandment number instructs not to ask questions?
• Which major sporting event did Arnold Rothstein allegedly fix in 1919?
• "Rope" illustrates how gender dynamics in relationships often operate through
• The narrator's stance is best described as morally ambiguous and reflective.
• In the novel, which best describes what West Egg represents in contrast to East Egg?
• The Brooklyn Bridge, in Crane's view, could lend a myth to which figure?
• Which possessions of Gatsby cause Daisy to cry over their beauty?
• Which author is MOST associated with radical linguistic experimentation?
• The form of Rope MOST underscores the couple's conflict between
• Which trait was LEAST characteristic of flapper culture?
• Thorstein Veblen's concept of conspicuous consumption appears in the novel through which symbol?
• Hart Crane's Mexican years involved assistance from which author?
• In the analysis, how are the eyes of Dr. Eckleburg primarily interpreted?
• The dominant imagery pattern in the poem Foredoom contrasts which pair?
• Hughes traveled to all of the following countries EXCEPT?
• Which option does NOT contribute to The Great Gatsby's inclusion in America's iconographic lingua franca?
• Edna St. Vincent Millay was raised by which family arrangement?
• Which writer edited a collection of Fitzgerald's essays for Esquire magazine?
• Which statement about the wedding gift Tom gave Daisy is true?
• In Shall I say, My Son, You're Branded, American politics are described as which of the following?
• Nick describes Tom's body as?
• Fitzgerald's final, unfinished novel was titled which work?
• The collection Bronze is associated with which theme?
• In Rope, which item does the husband forget to buy?
• What action best reflects Nick's state of mind after Gatsby's death?
• In the Ten Commandments of Charm, the sixth commandment is to
• Sterling Brown spent over forty years teaching at which institution? (reiterating for assessment variety)
• According to Joshua Zeitz, the Jazz Age was defined by an ethic of what?
• Which item recurs as a symbol of neglect of needs in Rope?
• In Rope, the wife jokes the rope might be used for which domestic purpose?
• How do film adaptations of The Great Gatsby MOST alter the portrayal of Myrtle?
• Millay was the first woman to win which prize?
• James Phelan's framework identifies a narrator's central functions as what trio?
• Dorothy Parker's 1922 poem 'The Flapper' attributes the flapper's ways to God and which contemporary writer?
• Which setback most significantly contributed to Fitzgerald's drinking problem?
• In Echoes of the Jazz Age, Fitzgerald uses which simile to describe the popularization of the Jazz Age?
• Jordan Baker's role in the social world is best described as which of the following?
• In the 1931 film The Public Enemy, the character Mike is portrayed as the moral center primarily because he refused to participate in which activity?
• Which recording would MOST likely feature expressive singing about poverty and social marginalization?
• The mourners at Gatsby's funeral were described as belonging to which region?
• West Egg is modeled after
• According to Salutamus, relief will come for which of the following?
• What was the Harlem Renaissance's primary goal?
• In the Ten Commandments of Charm, what is the second commandment advising women against?
• In the opening of Echoes of the Jazz Age, Fitzgerald compares writing about the Jazz Age to
• In The Ten Commandments of Charm, Hurston frames men's fundamental problem as their
• In Shall I say, My Son, You're Branded, which force can empower a child to dauntlessly arise?
• Which belief did Madison Grant and Lothrop Stoddard MOST prominently advocate?
• In Rope, the husband's rope purchase functions symbolically as evidence of his
• In the essay 'How to Live on $36,000 a Year', what annual income does Fitzgerald reference in the title?
• In the same poem, the word 'however' functions as a
• By which nickname was Porter's grandmother known?
• According to Claude Le Fustec, The Great Gatsby allegorizes the conflict between which two forces?
• Nick's comparison of Gatsby to Dutch sailors MOST suggests
• In Shall I say, My Son, You're Branded, the speaker's tone shifts most starkly from what to what?
• The eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg primarily symbolize what?
• A time-traveling reader from 1905 would find which Gatsby-era scenes MOST exotic?
• Which factor prevents Nick from being considered a reliable narrator?
• Gatsby's secret place above the trees represents which ideal?
• The Weary Blues depicts a performer using which instrument?
• The line about eating in the kitchen when company comes appears in which Hughes poem?
• T.S. Eliot's The Waste Land strayed from poetic conventions in all of the following ways EXCEPT its
• In Salutamus, the searing brand is best understood as a metaphor for which concept?
• The rope is humorously proposed to be used for which task?
• Which adaptation of The Great Gatsby was LEAST critically panned ?
• In which industry did Fitzgerald's maternal family accumulate wealth?
• What did John Chamberlain write about the critical reception of Tender Is the Night?
• Which journalist wrote an unfavorable 1936 New York Post profile of Fitzgerald?
• What is the title of Fitzgerald's 1920 story collection that pairs flappers with philosophers?
• Who played Daisy Buchanan in the 1926 film adaptation?
• The Latin title Salutamus alludes to a phrase meaning
• Who coined the slogan 'Make it New'?
• In Shall I say, My Son, You're Branded, the branding process is described as a series of which?
• Which meat was planned for supper earlier?
• Which of the following correctly pairs a writer with the work on language?
• Which imagery dominates the final lines of The Great Gatsby?
• In "The Weary Blues," which sound do the blues singer's feet produce?
• In Rope, the wife asks her husband to return to retrieve all of the following items EXCEPT
• Who did Mencken encourage to defend John Scopes?
• Which fundamental distinction does Fitzgerald draw between Tom's and George's work?
• Who wrote The Rise of the Colored Empires?
• Daisy is read as more victim than victimizer due to her position between which forces?
• Which relocation would have been LEAST typical during the Great Migration?
• In Echoes of the Jazz Age, which phrase did Fitzgerald claim was inappropriate to say to Sicilians?
• Gatsby's criminal activity is used to support which aim?
• Crane's viewing of The Kid occurred in which city?
• Which real-life figure served as the model for Meyer Wolfsheim?
• Which phrase best captures the memory-related theme attributed in the analysis?
• Which work marked Millay's breakthrough in her poetry career?
• In the Ten Commandments of Charm, the effect of phone calls on men is compared to
• The nationwide spread of jazz music is BEST attributed to the success of which group?
• What document did young Gatsby write on the back pages of a book?
• Which statement accurately reflects Fitzgerald's contrast between Tom's and George's work?
• Margaret Sanger is most known as an advocate for which cause?
• You Don't Know Us Negroes belongs to which literary form?
• Which surname is least associated with West Egg?
• In Rope, the exploration of gender marginalization PRIMARILY operates through
• Michaelis notes that the eyes of Dr. Eckleburg are
• Which Hughes poem includes the lines "to eat in the kitchen / when company comes"?
• Which golfer MOST inspired Fitzgerald's portrayal of Jordan?
• Nick's response to Jordan's disinterest MOST reveals her unfamiliarity with what?
• What is Hurston's most recent essay collection titled?
• Which phrase does Nick use to describe Gatsby's death?
• Which scenes in The Great Gatsby would a time-traveling reader from 1905 have found MOST exotic?
• In Rope, which of the following paragraphs exemplifies Porter's technique of intermingled language streams?
• What sonnet form does the poem 'I, being born a woman and distressed' follow?
• Which poem is considered Millay's breakthrough work?
• The wife describes being struck miles away from a
• Which author is associated with the collection that pairs flappers with philosophers?
• Which elements of 1920s society did the novels Manhattan Transfer and The Thin Man MOST prominently depict?
• Nick Carraway's family background positions him as what?
• The novel's portrayal of Tom MOST contrasts his confident demeanor with his
• The transition from the Harding to Coolidge administrations is BEST described as
• In what year did Millay submit to The Lyric Year?
• Which phrase best captures the empowering force that enables a child to dauntlessly arise in the text?
• In Echoes of the Jazz Age, the 'gay elements of society' split between Palm Beach and
• Peter Gregg Slater identifies Nick's tendency to highlight ethnic affiliation when individuals are NOT of which type?
• In which state did Hurston conduct field research on folk customs and languages?
• Lionel Trilling notes that the United States is the only nation to
• Which of the following individuals would be LEAST likely to face prosecution under the Volstead Act?
• Which statement best reflects Fitzgerald's opening view about writing about the Jazz Age?
• The final stanza of Chaplinesque includes all of the following sounds EXCEPT
• The final line of Salutamus repeats which word?
• Daisy's decision to marry Tom primarily motivated by the desire for security.
• Porter won the Pulitzer Prize for a collection of what form?
• The spice of love is described as which quality in the eighth commandment?
• Which poem features the idea that frenzy is resistible?
• Which creative endeavor did Zelda pursue in the late 1920s?
• Dan Cody's first encounter with Gatsby occurred while Cody was doing what?
• What characterized James Gatz's childhood?
• During her peak, Millay's public persona was best described as a spokesperson for what?
• The Jazz Age God is money. The Great Gatsby MOST suggests that the only God of the Jazz Age is
• Which philosophical concern of Modernism does Fitzgerald's writing MOST depict?
• The term 'merchants of cool' primarily refers to which group?
• In the 1920s, a 'sheik' would MOST likely describe which figure?
• Brown viewed identity as something that is
• In Echoes of the Jazz Age, Fitzgerald claims that the word 'jazz' held all of the following associations EXCEPT
• The consistent critical failure of The Great Gatsby's film adaptations stems PRIMARILY from the
• Who coined the modernist motto 'Make It New'?
• Which statement best describes the primary motive behind the Great Migration?
• Indian Creek is a town in which state?
• Which description best captures the mood suggested at Gatsby's parties?
• In Dorothy Parker's 1922 poem 'The Flapper,' the flapper's ways are attributed to God and which male author?
• The artist behind "Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground" is which of the following?
• Which publication published an unfavorable profile of Fitzgerald in 1936?
• Which activist is most directly associated with pioneering legal protections for working-class women in the 1920s?
• The Roaring Twenties are best described as a period of which paradox?
• According to Crane, the Brooklyn Bridge is so awe-inspiring that it could lend a myth to which entity?
• Under what pseudonym did Millay publish short stories?
• Which phrase best captures Nick's assessment of Gatsby's death?
• Which arrangement does Gatsby make for the day of his tea reunion with Daisy?
• What action does the husband take to ease his wife's distress?
• Which development is cited as enhancing Wilson's social value?
• Which figure is best known for advocating birth control?
• What is the primary color of the illustration on the first edition cover of The Great Gatsby?
• For which sport is Jordan Baker famously known?
• On the day of the Plaza Hotel meeting, which weather detail is noted?
• Scottie Fitzgerald was born a year before the release of which work?
• Before publishing fiction, Porter and Hemingway shared which occupation?
• The word 'motel' is a portmanteau of hotel and which word?
• Which wedding gift did Tom present to Daisy?
• In "The Weary Blues," the blues musician's hands are juxtaposed with the which of the following?
• The first edition cover of The Great Gatsby contains all of the following details EXCEPT which one?
• In that poem, the speaker describes her blood's rebellion against her
• The Shakespeare play referenced by Salutamus's epigraph is
• Nick's claim to be "one of the few honest people" is MOST undermined by his?
• Brown rejected as the key to Black American recognition which concept?
• In "Advice to Young Men", Mencken argues that human progress is furthered by what?
• In Booth's concept, unreliable narration arises when the narrator's statements conflict with
• In which Texas town was Katherine Anne Porter born?
• In "The Weary Blues," the blues musician's performance takes place on which avenue?
• What factor ultimately ended Fitzgerald's romance with Ginevra King?
• Who wrote The American Language?
• In Rope, which meat did the wife originally plan to cook for supper?
• Under which pseudonym did Lois Long write her column for The New Yorker?
• Which statement best describes the narrative technique used in Rope?
• In modernist literature, which topic is least likely to be engaged?
• John Dos Passos's literary aesthetic is BEST described as
• How did Zelda Fitzgerald spend the final years of her life?
• How does the wife threaten to dispose of her husband's tools if he doesn't move them?
• In "Advice to Young Men", which possession is second most valuable?
• Which term best captures Gatsby's place in American imagery due to its symbolic visuals?
• Which establishment was most associated with the Fitzgeralds' debauched behavior?
• The fictional book within the story is used to critique which type of ideology?
• Which weather condition characterized the day of the Plaza Hotel trip?
• Which feature of Meyer Wolfsheim does Nick MOST emphasize?
• Which best describes Nick Carraway's narration style?
• In Rope, to which action does the husband compare his attempts to communicate with his angry wife?
• Which paragraph best exemplifies Porter's intermingled language streams?
• Millay was the first woman to win which poetry prize?
• Fitzgerald's treatment of wonder suggests it represents a capacity for hope lacking in wealthy families.
• Gatsby's transformation is driven by his belief in what kind of self?
• Hemingway's development of his aesthetic involved rejecting which style?
• Wayne Booth's concept of unreliable narration originally focused on what kind of statements?
• What distinguished The Great Gatsby from Fitzgerald's previous novels?
• James Phelan's framework identifies a narrator's central functions as which trio?
• In Echoes of the Jazz Age, Fitzgerald describes the 1920s as an age of
• Which statement best describes Fitzgerald's use of phonetic spellings to convey Wolfsheim's accent?
• Sterling Brown spent over forty years teaching at which institution?
• Which novel does NOT portray the lifestyles of city-dwellers?
• In The Ten Commandments of Charm, which technique does Hurston primarily use to reveal restrictive gender expectations?
• In which play did Johnson depict how the fear of lynching permeated Black social life?
• With which literary critic did Crane correspond about Chaplinesque?
• In the 1920 presidential election, what was the stance of the major candidates on women's suffrage?
• George's role as a tragic figure MOST emphasizes his position as a
• Compared with Faulkner and Woolf, Fitzgerald's writing was considerably less
• Ta-Nehisi Coates's The Talk is primarily concerned with what issue?
• For which newspaper did H. L. Mencken work after leaving the Morning Herald?
• In the 1924 essay, Fitzgerald refers to the Plaza Hotel as which of the following?
• In the spring of the late 1920s, which 'bright and alien' event occurred?
• Lois Long's 'Lipstick' column appeared in which publication?
• Scott and Violet Arthur relocated to Chicago PRIMARILY because of
• Which of the following best describes how gender dynamics are presented in Rope?
• Which historian described the Jazz Age as defined by an ethic of self-indulgence?
• What motivated Myrtle to run into the street?
• Fitzgerald suggests the Jazz Age was PRIMARILY about what?
• During the Harlem Renaissance, African American artists were MOST likely to experience
• The Great Gatsby's enduring legacy can LEAST be attributed to its
• Which collection did Johnson write in response to criticism about her racial consciousness?
• Which character notes that the eyes of Dr. Eckleburg are just an advertisement?
• Which statement represents Max Perkins's principal concern with The Great Gatsby's initial draft?
• Nick expresses satisfaction that the mourners witnessed what at Gatsby's funeral?
• Which group helped spread jazz across the United States?
• What was Dan Cody doing when he first encountered Gatsby?
• In what year did Fitzgerald publish the essay 'How to Live on $36,000 a Year'?
• For which sorority did Hurston write The Ten Commandments of Charm?
• In Rope, which bird does the couple hear calling from the crab apple tree?
• Which factor most influenced the end of Fitzgerald's relationship with Ginevra King?
• Which sound is NOT included in the final stanza of Chaplinesque?
• Which statement best explains why Zelda Sayre was notorious in Montgomery society?
• How does music historian Richard A. Long view the blues in the 1920s?
• Which hotel is associated with the Fitzgeralds' debauched social life?
• The Latin phrase about 'we who are about to die salute you' is associated with which group?
• Which country allegedly awarded Gatsby a military medal for valor?
• Gatsby's description of Daisy's voice suggests his tendency to view her as a financial commodity.
• In Echoes of the Jazz Age, which puzzles did Fitzgerald claim signaled widespread neurosis?
• The Great Gatsby's treatment of memory MOST emphasizes
• The description of Daisy's voice as full of money is used to illustrate which concept?
• Which form of expression would Hughes MOST likely consider the universal language?
• Which statement best describes the critical reception of Tender Is the Night?
• In which Missouri city was Langston Hughes born?
• Blind Willie Johnson's "Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground" primarily features which of the following?
• In which magazine did Fitzgerald frequently publish his essays?
• Katherine Anne Porter won the Pulitzer Prize for which book?
• Nick's description of Myrtle's death draws attention to her
• Which mood best captures urban America in the 1920s?
• Gatsby's criminal involvement MOST broadly serves his desire to
• Which poem features the line about blood rebelling against the staggering brain?
• Nick describes the wealthy as a "rotten crowd" because they?
• What factor BEST explains why the Harlem Renaissance emerged as a defining movement of the 1920s?
• The final passage's use of contradictory images serves to convey
• In "The Weary Blues," which phrase is NOT repeated?
• In "Advice to Young Men", Mencken jokes that a fifty-year-old man is as easy as a Yale sophomore.
• In which city did Crane see Charlie Chaplin's film The Kid?
• Which of the following best describes the origin of the term 'motel' within the context of 1920s travel culture?
• Which author helped Hart Crane with his writing when he lived in Mexico?
• Porter's narrative technique in Rope substitutes traditional action for
• In Echoes of the Jazz Age, which criminal was Fitzgerald's wife suspected of being?
• Which statement about The Great Gatsby's setting is accurate?
• Hurston's field research focused on which two areas?
• Which character identifies Nick's tendency to highlight ethnic affiliation?
• In 'I, being born a woman and distressed,' how does the speaker characterize her biological desire?
• Langston Hughes was born in Joplin, which lies in which state?
• In Salutamus, the searing brand serves as a central metaphor for which concept?
• Which genre does Michael Broyles NOT identify as a constituent of early jazz?
• Peter Gregg Slater would MOST likely agree the Roaring Twenties were defined by
• The Waste Land's approach is best described as which of the following?
• Which state was Porter's family originally from before moving to Texas?
• The novel's opening advice from Nick's father addresses which central theme?
• The Volstead Act enforced which policy?
• With whom did Zelda engage in a flirtatious relationship while in France?
• Which term refers to the desire to surpass others' social standing?
• The couple's forgotten purchase refers to which item?
• Scottie Fitzgerald was born a year before the release of which work?
• Why were some Harlem Renaissance writers averse to jazz music?
• What excuse does the husband give for staying in town the previous summer?
• Where does George Wilson locate Gatsby before killing him?
• Which work is noted for its controversial take on motherhood?
• Which city is most closely associated with the Harlem Renaissance?
• Which literary technique does the novel's symbolic geography employ?
• The penultimate title for The Great Gatsby was which?
• Which author is BEST described as having nonlinear and cinematic narrative storytelling?
• In his 1924 essay 'How to Live on $36,000 a Year', Fitzgerald refers to which establishment as 'the best hotel in New York'?
• W. E. B. Du Bois described Johnson as not being a(n) which of the following?
• In the poem I, being born a woman and distressed, the speaker views her frenzy as which?
• The phrase 'iconographic lingua franca' in relation to The Great Gatsby most directly signals its prominence in which domain?
• What is the title of the second section of "Advice to Young Men"?
• Fitzgerald's final novel The Last Tycoon is best described as
• In Chaplinesque, the speaker describes a game that enforces which reaction?
• Which trait does Nick say Jordan does NOT possess?
• Which writing style did Hemingway PRIMARILY reject in developing his literary aesthetic?
• John Chamberlain's assessment of Tender Is the Night is best summarized as
• The rise of the entertainment industry in the 1920s PRIMARILY occurred as a result of
• Gatsby's transformation from James Gatz springs from his
• Which aspect of Gatsby's background does Tom most question at the Plaza Hotel?
• Which quality of Langston Hughes's poetry MOST closely reflects the influence of jazz music?
• The Great Gatsby's reputation as a Jazz Age novel is paradoxical because it largely lacks two features commonly associated with the era. Which statement best captures this paradox?
• In Salutamus, Brown likens activists to which?
• Brown rejected mythical past as the key to Black American recognition; which option best captures this stance?
• Which modernist writer inspired Fitzgerald's choice to filter The Great Gatsby through Nick's consciousness?
• Georgia Douglas Johnson held a role in the Department of Labor as a commissioner of what?
• Which of the following best captures the reason for the 1920s economic stabilization, as described?
• The phrase 'merchants of cool' critiques the advertising industry’s role in shaping what?
• How does the husband attempt to comfort his wife?
• The title The Venerable Examined belongs to which work?
• According to the Jazz Age discussion, what is identified as the primary focus?
• Angelina Weld Grimké's play Rachel was controversial in the early 20th century for its commentary on which topic?
• Before Gatsby's death, where does George Wilson locate him?
• How does Jordan strive to command attention?
• Which policy reflects 1920s nativist backlash?
• Which magazine edited by Charles Johnson provided an early platform for Hurston's writing?
• Which statement best captures the irony of the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Amendments?
• Which development PRIMARILY drove the stabilization of the United States economy in 1920?
• The line about eating in the kitchen when company comes appears in which Hughes poem?
• In 1912, Millay submitted a poem to which publication?
• During the Plaza Hotel confrontation, which aspect of Gatsby is challenged by Tom?
• Gatsby's attainment of wealth and status is portrayed as which of the following in relation to his romantic goal?
• During her career's peak, Millay's reputation is BEST described as a
• Which term did W. E. B. Du Bois describe Johnson as not being?
• Which academic work did Mencken write about language?
• Why does Gatsby go out of Nick's house just before his reunion with Daisy?
• In which city did Jordan and Daisy grow up?
• Which publication edited by Charles Johnson provided an early platform for Hurston's writing?
• Which device does Porter’s Rope rely on to convey emotional tension without heavy action?
• Which two words does Fitzgerald spell phonetically to reflect Wolfshiem's accent?
• What reason does the husband give for wishing they had children?
• Which character is described as a common person destroyed by the wealthy's cruelty?
• In the described scene, what field did Porter and Hemingway both work in before publishing fiction?
• Which phrase best describes Gatsby's paradoxical status as a Jazz Age novel?
• Which description best captures Zelda Sayre's reputation in high society?
• Which of the following was NOT a consequence of World War I spending in the United States from 1916 to 1920?
• Tom Buchanan's character serves Primarily to exemplify?
• When the wife claims the top shelf is unavailable, the husband points out the
• In the Ten Commandments of Charm, the eighth commandment claims that the spice of love is
• The branding described in Shall I say, My Son, You're Branded as which type of occurrences?
• In The Great Gatsby, which type of businesses served as fronts for Gatsby's bootlegging?
• Which color symbol in Gatsby's world is most associated with wealth and flamboyance?
• Which development MOST enhances the social value of Wilson's work?
• The Great Gatsby is primarily narrated through which character's perspective?
• Which concept describes spending to display wealth and social status in Gatsby's world?
• The epigraph of Salutamus is taken from Shakespeare's play
• Which industry notched Fitzgerald's maternal family's wealth?
• How does Nick most change after Gatsby's death?
• In what year was Fitzgerald's 'Flappers and Philosophers' published?
• Lois Lang would most likely have written which type of article?
• Who would most likely have carried a white protest sign addressed to 'Mr. President' in 1917?
• According to the analysis, Gatsby's enduring legacy is attributed more to
• Which recording context is associated with poverty themed songs?
• Who informed George Wilson of Gatsby's residence?
• Which quality of modernist literature is MOST reflected in Fitzgerald's writing?
• In Rope, which task had the wife planned to do since morning?
• Which author is MOST associated with radical linguistic experimentation?
• In the novel's geographic symbolism, East Egg and West Egg are contrasted to suggest that East is morally inferior and West is morally superior. Which statement best captures this depiction?
• Sterling A. Brown distanced from which movement?
• Which rhetorical question does Gatsby utter in reply to the notion that the past can be recaptured?
• Maureen Corrigan identifies the core American idea in The Great Gatsby as
• Daisy's emotional reaction to Gatsby's possessions centered on which item?
• Which scholar is credited with identifying Gatsby's allegory of the conflict between evil materialism and pure romanticism?