American Literature Finals

What specific mountain range is located on the valley side of the Salinas River in 'Of Mice and Men'?

The Gabilan mountains.

How does Steinbeck characterize Lennie's walk?

By comparing it to the movement of a bear.

What is the name of the town located a few miles north of the wooded area where George and Lennie first 'jungle-up'?

Soledad.

Why did the bus driver drop George and Lennie off ten miles away from the ranch?

He was too lazy to pull up to the ranch gate.

What item does Lennie carry in his pocket in Chapter 1 that he claims he found dead beside the road?

A mouse.

What event in the town of Weed forced George and Lennie to flee and hide in an irrigation ditch?

Lennie touched a girl's dress and refused to let go when she screamed.

Why does George instruct Lennie to remain silent when meeting the boss?

He fears the boss will not hire them if he discovers Lennie's mental disability before seeing him work.

What animal does Lennie often request George to retell the story of their future farm focusing on?

Rabbits.

What does George discover in his bunk's apple box designed to kill insects?

A yellow can.

What does the boss at the ranch express suspicion about regarding George and Lennie?

He has never seen one man take so much trouble for another.

What lie does George tell the boss to explain Lennie's mental slowness?

He claims Lennie was kicked in the head by a horse as a child.

How does Curley's physical appearance distinguish him from the common ranch hands?

He wears high-heeled boots and spurs.

What sport does the old swamper say Curley has experience in?

Boxing.

Why does Curley hate 'big guys' according to the old swamper?

He is a 'little guy' who feels the need to pick scraps to compensate for his size.

What is the name of the 'jerkline skinner' described as a 'hell of a nice fella'?

Slim.

What is the term for a work of fiction that acknowledges its own status as a fabricated narrative?

Metafiction.

What is the primary theme behind Tim O'Brien's decision to go to the Vietnam War?

The fear of shame and community disapproval.

Why is Elroy Berdahl described as a 'mirror' for Tim O'Brien?

His silence forces O'Brien to confront his own dilemma.

What is the name of the fishing resort where Tim O'Brien stays while contemplating fleeing to Canada?

Tip Top Lodge.

How does O'Brien describe his final choice to go to war?

As an act of cowardice.

What is the significance of 'absurdity' in the Formalist approach to literature?

It conveys a lack of meaning.

In what state are a person's subconscious desires most clearly revealed according to Psychoanalytic theory?

In dreams.

Who expanded the theory of archetypes?

Carl Jung.

What 'Catch-22' does Tim O'Brien face in 'On the Rainy River'?

He will feel guilty regardless of his choice.

What literary theory emphasizes form over historical context?

Formalist theory.

What game does George play by himself at the square table in the bunk house?

Solitaire.

What specific date did Tim O'Brien receive his draft notice?

June 17, 1968.

Which character serves as an 'Earth Mother' figure to the narrator during his crisis?

Elroy Berdahl.

What is Lennie's last name in 'Of Mice and Men'?

Small.

Why did Lennie's Aunt Clara stop giving him live mice?

Lennie consistently killed them by accident.

What is 'story-truth' considered more 'true' than 'happening-truth'?

Because it conveys emotional reality.

What does the 'id' represent in Psychoanalytic theory?

Primal desires.

What is the name of the river that separates Minnesota from Canada?

The Rainy River.

What specific body part is the swamper in 'Of Mice and Men' missing?

His right hand.

What archetypal character does Curley's wife represent?

The Temptress.

What sum of money could George earn per month if he were alone?

Fifty bucks.

What does Lennie do to demonstrate his dependence on George?

He mimics George's movements.

What does George tell Lennie to do if he ever gets into trouble at the new ranch?

Return to the brush by the Salinas River and hide until George comes for him.

What substance does Curley keep in his glove to keep one hand soft?

Vaseline.

How does the narrator in 'The Things They Carried' define a 'true' hero?

An empathetic, non-judgmental presence who allows others the space to be vulnerable.

What literary device is used in 'Of Mice and Men' when George warns Lennie about Curley?

Foreshadowing.

What does O'Brien use the metaphor of an 'old home movie' to describe?

Remembering (or observing) his younger, naive self.

According to Formalism, what details provide clues to a work's meaning?

Diction, punctuation, and syntax.

In Jungian criticism, what does the 'Loner' or 'Outcast' archetype refer to?

A character who is excluded (or separated) from society.

What was the name of the 'clean' blacksmith who previously occupied George's bunk?

******.

Why is the stable buck excluded from the bunkhouse?

Because of his race, except for on Christmas night.

What physical deformity does the stable buck have?

A crooked back (from being kicked by a horse).

What animal does George offer Lennie as a replacement for mice?

A pup (puppy).

What does the phrase 'live off the fatta the lan'' refer to?

The characters' dream of achieving The American Dream (or independence).

How does the 'superego' function in O'Brien's decision to go to Vietnam?

It represents the internalized societal pressures and moral 'shoulds' that override his individual conscience.

What is the primary role of the 'ego' in Psychoanalytic theory?

To act as a rational mediator between the primal 'id' and the moralistic 'superego'.

What setting does Steinbeck establish by describing the Salinas River as 'deep and green' and 'warm'?

Serenity (or natural peace).

What is George's last name in 'Of Mice and Men'?

Milton.

What does O'Brien describe as a physical rupture in 'The Things They Carried'?

The feeling in his chest when he decided to flee.

How much money does Elroy Berdahl leave for O'Brien in an envelope?

Two hundred dollars (four fifty-dollar bills).

Why does O'Brien refuse to cross the river into Canada?

He feels paralyzed by the imagined shame and the 'heat' of his hometown's judgment.

What is an archetype in literature?

A recurring symbol, character, or situation that represents universal human patterns.

What do the apple boxes in the bunkhouse serve as?

Shelves for personal belongings.

What is the primary function of 'metafiction' as applied by Tim O'Brien?

To challenge the boundary between fiction and reality and explore the process of storytelling.

How is 'On the Rainy River' ironically identified as a story?

It is most easily identifiable as fiction despite its focus on reality.

How is Curley's wife described in terms of her attention-seeking behavior?

Flirtatious (or looking for attention from other men).

How does George characterize the life of a typical ranch hand?

As being the loneliest guys in the world.

What theme does Lennie's use of the word 'paw' to describe his hand reinforce?

Dehumanization (or animal imagery).

What academic honors did Tim O'Brien graduate with from Macalester College?

Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude.

Who was the president of North Vietnam mentioned by O'Brien?

Ho Chi Minh.

What does the Formalist theory suggest about a literary work?

It is a 'separate entity' independent of the author's life (or culture).

What does the 'Sage' character provide to the protagonist in archetypal criticism?

Wisdom (or guidance).

What does George tell Lennie he won't be allowed to do if he gets into trouble?

Tend the rabbits.

What type of hat does the boss in 'Of Mice and Men' wear?

A soiled brown Stetson hat.

What does O'Brien argue about 'True War Stories'?

They are not intended to deliver facts but to account for the feelings behind a situation.

What animal do the 'split-wedge tracks' in the sand by the river belong to?

Deer.

What does George do with Lennie's dead mouse in Chapter 1?

He throws it across the pool into the brush.

What does Lennie like to eat with his beans?

Ketchup.

What derogatory term is Curley's wife referred to by the swamper?

Tart.

What was O'Brien's summer job before the draft?

Removing blood clots from pigs in a meatpacking plant.

How does O'Brien characterize the people of Worthington, Minnesota regarding their knowledge of the war?

They are uninformed and lack perspective, yet still exert moral pressure.

What does the 'Mythological Approach' to literature focus on?

Symbols and motifs that are repeated (or universal) across different cultures.

Which character in 'Of Mice and Men' has a 'dragfooted sheepdog'?

The old swamper (Candy).

Why does George warn Lennie about Curley?

Because Curley is scrappy (or insecure about his own size).

Why does O'Brien call Elroy Berdahl the 'hero' of his life?

Because Elroy was willing to sit in the discomfort (or sadness) of another's crisis.