Literary Themes Quiz 1 (20 MCQs)

Quiz Instructions

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1. Phoenix vs. old age, vs. cold weather. Difficulty of the path, animals, the dog, the ditch, the maze, the barbed wire fence. What themes from "A worn path" do these represent?
2. Why is it important to identify the theme of a story?
3. What is the definition of theme in literature?
4. Brynn and Nicole were uhappy when Mrs. Smith assigned them to be partners for a project. Because they didn't get along, they decided to work separately on different parts of the project. When the draft was due, Brynn noticed that the design and artwork of Nicole's part was much better than hers. Nicole noticed that Brynn had done a lot of research and that her writing was stronger than hers. Seeing each other's strengths, Brynn asked Nicole if she wanted to work together on the final draft. That way, they could each focus on what they did best. In the end, their projet received the highest grade in the class. What is the theme of this passage?
5. Read and analyze the following text. The following lines are excerpts from Homer's Iliad, particularly the farewell between Hector and his wife Andromache. His wife Andromache then makes a tearful speech to Hector, begging him to be more careful and stay behind the battlements more often. For with Hector gone she and her son will be alone in this world: "But Hector you are father and honored mother and brother to me, as well as my strong husband. Please feel pity for us, stay here on the battlements, so you do not make an orphan of your child and your wife a widow." "Wife, I too have thought upon all this, but with what face should I look upon the Trojans, men or women, if I shirked battle like a coward? I cannot do so:I know nothing save to fight bravely in the forefront of the Trojan host and win renown alike for my father and myself. Well do I know that the day will surely come when mighty Ilius shall be destroyed with Priam and Priam's people, but I grieve for none of these-not even for Hecuba, nor King Priam, nor for my brothers many and brave who may fall in the dust before their foes-for none of these do I grieve as for yourself when the day shall come on which someone of the Achaeans shall rob you forever of your freedom, and bear you weeping away." Question:What line from the excerpt implies pride?
6. What is the main theme of 'Storm on the Island'?
7. What happened between John Proctor and Abigail Williams prior to the opening of the play?
8. Which statement is TRUE regarding ficional texts?
9. Eleanor invited the new girl, Jessica, over to play. When Jessica arrived, she didn't bother to wipe her shoes. She got mud all over Eleanor's white bedroom carpet and didn't even say sorry. Then, she hopped onto Eleanor's bed and took out a cherry juice box. When cherry juice dripped onto Eleanor's tan comforter, Jessica just shrugged. Later, when Jessica was eating some Cheetos, she wiped the orange powder on her fingers onto Eleanor's pillowcase. When Jessica left, Eleanor called all of her friends to tell them what had happened. Jessica was never invited to play at any of their houses again. What is the theme of this passage?
10. What is the most likely reason why Mrs. Jones left her purse on the daybed where the boy could have grabbed it? (Thank you Ma'am)
11. Miller wrote The Crucible as an allegory of the anti-Communist climate of his own time. During this period, many Americans feared that an international Communist party was trying to overthrow the U.S. government. In Act IV of The Crucible, which aspect of the anti-Communist "Red Scare" does Hale's character most clearly represent?
12. Which of the following statements about theme is TRUE?
13. "You must clean your room before your baseball game, " Stephen's mom stated. Stephen hated cleaning his room. Because he wanted to get it over with as quickly as possible, he threw all of his clothes and toys into a huge pile in his closet and closed the door. "Done!" Stephen exclaimed. Right before it was time to leave for the game, Stephen's mother went into Stephen's room to get his uniform out of the closet. All of his clothes and toys came tumbling out. "Stephen!" she shouted. "if you would have cleaned your room properly in the first place, you wouldn't have to stay home and clean it all over again." What is the theme of this passage?
14. How does the theme of man versus nature appear in literature?
15. What are some techniques or strategies for identifying the theme of a story?
16. You can often infer the theme of a piece of literature by .....
17. What is a literary theme?
18. Why is it important to analyze and understand the themes in literature?
19. Which of the following is NOT an example of a theme?
20. Can you guess the central theme of Pride and Prejudice?