ESTUDYR
AMERICAN LIT 2 MIDTERM MOST TESTED QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS GRADED A+ WITH RATIONALES
1. What animal does Sylvia have to search for every evening in the summer?
A. a horse
B. a cow
C. a cat
D. a toad
Answer: B. a cow
Rationale: In Sarah Orne Jewett’s “A White Heron,” Sylvia helps tend the farm and must
look for the cow each evening — a routine farm chore that establishes her rural
responsibilities and connection to the land.
2. Jewett writes that Sylvia has been relocated from a “crowded manufacturing town” to
a rural farm. How does she feel about rural life?
A. she loves the domestic chores she performs inside the farmhouse
B. she is equally happy with urban and rural life and has no preference
C. she is bored and misses the bustle and activity of city life
D. she loves rural life and spends as much time as she can outdoors
Answer: D. she loves rural life and spends as much time as she can outdoors
Rationale: Sylvia’s delight in wandering the woods, her keen observation of nature, and
her comfort outdoors show that she embraces rural life and prefers time outside to
indoor domestic chores.
3. When her grandmother chose Sylvia to come live with her on the farm, what
personality trait did her grandmother see in her?
A. shyness
B. joyfulness
C. moroseness
D. resentment
Answer: A. shyness
Rationale: Mrs. Tilley selects Sylvia because of her quiet, reserved nature; Sylvia’s
shyness and gentleness are central to why she fits into the grandmother’s household
and to the story’s exploration of innocence.
4. While driving home Mistress Moolly, Sylvia encounters someone on the path who
frightens her. Whom does she meet?
A. the village mayor
,ESTUDYR
B. a sailor
C. her grandmother
D. a young man
Answer: D. a young man
Rationale: The sudden appearance of the young hunter in the woods startles Sylvia; his
presence introduces the central conflict of human desire vs. natural loyalty.
5. What happened to four of Mrs. Tilley’s children?
A. they moved to factory towns
B. they live in the nearby village
C. they died and were buried
D. they traveled to California
Answer: C. they died and were buried
Rationale: Jewett notes the mortality and loss experienced by rural families; the deaths
of Mrs. Tilley’s children highlight the precariousness of farm life and explain some of
Mrs. Tilley’s cautiousness.
6. The young man Sylvia encounters in the woods and brings home is very interested in
birds. What does he do with the birds he finds?
A. he shoots and eats them
B. he paints pictures of them
C. he keeps them in cages
D. he stuffs and preserves them
Answer: D. he stuffs and preserves them
Rationale: The hunter is a taxidermist/naturalist type who collects specimens to stuff
and preserve — an action that symbolizes a scientific/possessive approach to nature,
contrasting with Sylvia’s empathy for living creatures.
7. What does the young man give Sylvia?
A. A jack-knife
B. twenty dollars
C. a baby heron
D. a ring
Answer: A. a jack-knife
Rationale: He offers small tokens — the jack-knife is a tangible sign of his interest in
Sylvia and a traditional symbol of male gifting; it also underscores the modest monetary
culture of the rural setting compared to the larger reward he offers later.
8. What plan does Sylvia hatch to find the elusive heron for the young man the night
before he leaves?
,ESTUDYR
A. She will ask the neighboring farmers if they know where the nest is located.
B. She will use her ability to whistle to replicate the call of the heron and flush it out.
C. She will use her grandfather’s binoculars to search for the nest in the forest.
D. She will sneak out at dawn and climb the tallest pine tree to find the bird’s nest.
Answer: D. She will sneak out at dawn and climb the tallest pine tree to find the bird’s
nest.
Rationale: Sylvia’s daring climb at dawn shows devotion and courage; this risky solitary
act demonstrates her deep connection to and knowledge of the natural world and sets
up the moral dilemma at the story’s climax.
9. Which of the following best describes the development of Sylvia’s feelings for the
young man over the course of the story?
A. she is enchanted with him the moment she sees him and begins flirting with him
B. she notices that he is wealthy and hopes to benefit financially from her contact with
him
C. she dislikes him and does everything and does everything she can to drive him away
from the farm
D. she is wary of him at first but then develops a kind of juvenile crush on him
Answer: D. she is wary of him at first but then develops a kind of juvenile crush on him
Rationale: Sylvia’s feelings evolve from caution to a tender, almost innocent attraction.
It is not mature love or material calculation—rather a shy, childlike infatuation
complicated by her loyalty to nature.
10. Which of the following best explains Sylvia’s decision to remain silent about the
location of the white heron at the end of the story?
A. she has determined to frustrate and undermine the young man in every way possible
and delights in the opportunity to deny him the information he seeks
B. although she finds the young man appealing and would like the monetary reward he
offers, she ultimately feels more loyalty to the heron
C. she remains silent because her grandmother forbids her to speak about the
whereabouts of the bird; she does not want to displease her grandmother
D. she plans to find and capture the white heron herself once she realizes the monetary
value the bird’s feathers have for the fashion industry
Answer: B. although she finds the young man appealing and would like the monetary
reward he offers, she ultimately feels more loyalty to the heron
Rationale: Sylvia’s final act is moral and symbolic: she chooses the life and sanctity of
the living bird over personal gain and social approval. This choice marks her ethical
growth and fidelity to the natural world.
, ESTUDYR
11. American literary trends changed substantially after the Civil War. What was the
principal difference between late-nineteenth-century (Gilded Age) literature and
antebellum literature?
A. Gilded Age literature utilized more dialogue and contained fewer descriptive passages
than antebellum literature.
B. Gilded Age literature contained more upper-class characters than antebellum
literature.
C. Gilded Age literature was more pragmatic and less romantic than antebellum
literature.
D. Gilded Age literature focused more on poetry and fanciful imagery than antebellum
literature.
Answer: C. Gilded Age literature was more pragmatic and less romantic than
antebellum literature.
Rationale: Post-Civil War writing shifted toward realism and social critique (pragmatism)
and away from the earlier romantic idealism; authors emphasized contemporary social
issues, industrialization, and everyday life.
12. How was Darwin’s scientific theory of evolution used to justify the United States’
unfettered capitalistic system of the late nineteenth century?
A. People evolved to be more concerned about their personal economic conditions, so
they needed to be able to complete freely in the marketplace to accumulate wealth.
B. Since evolution occurred through adaptation to one’s environment, people needed to
prove that they could adjust to a modern economic system by participating in a
capitalist society.
C. Economic progress could be achieved in the modern world, but only through
people’s ruthless and violent competition, so a laissez-faire economic system was
necessary.
D. In order to differentiate themselves from animals lower on the evolutionary scale,
people had to demonstrate the ability to generate wealth in an open economic system.
Answer: C. Economic progress could be achieved in the modern world, but only
through people’s ruthless and violent competition, so a laissez-faire economic system
was necessary.
Rationale: Social Darwinism distorted Darwin’s ideas to argue that ‘survival of the
fittest’ justified minimal regulation, social inequality, and ruthless economic competition
— used politically to defend laissez-faire capitalism.
13. Why did women’s social clubs become popular in the late nineteenth century?
A. They bequeathed small business loans to women who wanted to become financially
independent.
AMERICAN LIT 2 MIDTERM MOST TESTED QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS GRADED A+ WITH RATIONALES
1. What animal does Sylvia have to search for every evening in the summer?
A. a horse
B. a cow
C. a cat
D. a toad
Answer: B. a cow
Rationale: In Sarah Orne Jewett’s “A White Heron,” Sylvia helps tend the farm and must
look for the cow each evening — a routine farm chore that establishes her rural
responsibilities and connection to the land.
2. Jewett writes that Sylvia has been relocated from a “crowded manufacturing town” to
a rural farm. How does she feel about rural life?
A. she loves the domestic chores she performs inside the farmhouse
B. she is equally happy with urban and rural life and has no preference
C. she is bored and misses the bustle and activity of city life
D. she loves rural life and spends as much time as she can outdoors
Answer: D. she loves rural life and spends as much time as she can outdoors
Rationale: Sylvia’s delight in wandering the woods, her keen observation of nature, and
her comfort outdoors show that she embraces rural life and prefers time outside to
indoor domestic chores.
3. When her grandmother chose Sylvia to come live with her on the farm, what
personality trait did her grandmother see in her?
A. shyness
B. joyfulness
C. moroseness
D. resentment
Answer: A. shyness
Rationale: Mrs. Tilley selects Sylvia because of her quiet, reserved nature; Sylvia’s
shyness and gentleness are central to why she fits into the grandmother’s household
and to the story’s exploration of innocence.
4. While driving home Mistress Moolly, Sylvia encounters someone on the path who
frightens her. Whom does she meet?
A. the village mayor
,ESTUDYR
B. a sailor
C. her grandmother
D. a young man
Answer: D. a young man
Rationale: The sudden appearance of the young hunter in the woods startles Sylvia; his
presence introduces the central conflict of human desire vs. natural loyalty.
5. What happened to four of Mrs. Tilley’s children?
A. they moved to factory towns
B. they live in the nearby village
C. they died and were buried
D. they traveled to California
Answer: C. they died and were buried
Rationale: Jewett notes the mortality and loss experienced by rural families; the deaths
of Mrs. Tilley’s children highlight the precariousness of farm life and explain some of
Mrs. Tilley’s cautiousness.
6. The young man Sylvia encounters in the woods and brings home is very interested in
birds. What does he do with the birds he finds?
A. he shoots and eats them
B. he paints pictures of them
C. he keeps them in cages
D. he stuffs and preserves them
Answer: D. he stuffs and preserves them
Rationale: The hunter is a taxidermist/naturalist type who collects specimens to stuff
and preserve — an action that symbolizes a scientific/possessive approach to nature,
contrasting with Sylvia’s empathy for living creatures.
7. What does the young man give Sylvia?
A. A jack-knife
B. twenty dollars
C. a baby heron
D. a ring
Answer: A. a jack-knife
Rationale: He offers small tokens — the jack-knife is a tangible sign of his interest in
Sylvia and a traditional symbol of male gifting; it also underscores the modest monetary
culture of the rural setting compared to the larger reward he offers later.
8. What plan does Sylvia hatch to find the elusive heron for the young man the night
before he leaves?
,ESTUDYR
A. She will ask the neighboring farmers if they know where the nest is located.
B. She will use her ability to whistle to replicate the call of the heron and flush it out.
C. She will use her grandfather’s binoculars to search for the nest in the forest.
D. She will sneak out at dawn and climb the tallest pine tree to find the bird’s nest.
Answer: D. She will sneak out at dawn and climb the tallest pine tree to find the bird’s
nest.
Rationale: Sylvia’s daring climb at dawn shows devotion and courage; this risky solitary
act demonstrates her deep connection to and knowledge of the natural world and sets
up the moral dilemma at the story’s climax.
9. Which of the following best describes the development of Sylvia’s feelings for the
young man over the course of the story?
A. she is enchanted with him the moment she sees him and begins flirting with him
B. she notices that he is wealthy and hopes to benefit financially from her contact with
him
C. she dislikes him and does everything and does everything she can to drive him away
from the farm
D. she is wary of him at first but then develops a kind of juvenile crush on him
Answer: D. she is wary of him at first but then develops a kind of juvenile crush on him
Rationale: Sylvia’s feelings evolve from caution to a tender, almost innocent attraction.
It is not mature love or material calculation—rather a shy, childlike infatuation
complicated by her loyalty to nature.
10. Which of the following best explains Sylvia’s decision to remain silent about the
location of the white heron at the end of the story?
A. she has determined to frustrate and undermine the young man in every way possible
and delights in the opportunity to deny him the information he seeks
B. although she finds the young man appealing and would like the monetary reward he
offers, she ultimately feels more loyalty to the heron
C. she remains silent because her grandmother forbids her to speak about the
whereabouts of the bird; she does not want to displease her grandmother
D. she plans to find and capture the white heron herself once she realizes the monetary
value the bird’s feathers have for the fashion industry
Answer: B. although she finds the young man appealing and would like the monetary
reward he offers, she ultimately feels more loyalty to the heron
Rationale: Sylvia’s final act is moral and symbolic: she chooses the life and sanctity of
the living bird over personal gain and social approval. This choice marks her ethical
growth and fidelity to the natural world.
, ESTUDYR
11. American literary trends changed substantially after the Civil War. What was the
principal difference between late-nineteenth-century (Gilded Age) literature and
antebellum literature?
A. Gilded Age literature utilized more dialogue and contained fewer descriptive passages
than antebellum literature.
B. Gilded Age literature contained more upper-class characters than antebellum
literature.
C. Gilded Age literature was more pragmatic and less romantic than antebellum
literature.
D. Gilded Age literature focused more on poetry and fanciful imagery than antebellum
literature.
Answer: C. Gilded Age literature was more pragmatic and less romantic than
antebellum literature.
Rationale: Post-Civil War writing shifted toward realism and social critique (pragmatism)
and away from the earlier romantic idealism; authors emphasized contemporary social
issues, industrialization, and everyday life.
12. How was Darwin’s scientific theory of evolution used to justify the United States’
unfettered capitalistic system of the late nineteenth century?
A. People evolved to be more concerned about their personal economic conditions, so
they needed to be able to complete freely in the marketplace to accumulate wealth.
B. Since evolution occurred through adaptation to one’s environment, people needed to
prove that they could adjust to a modern economic system by participating in a
capitalist society.
C. Economic progress could be achieved in the modern world, but only through
people’s ruthless and violent competition, so a laissez-faire economic system was
necessary.
D. In order to differentiate themselves from animals lower on the evolutionary scale,
people had to demonstrate the ability to generate wealth in an open economic system.
Answer: C. Economic progress could be achieved in the modern world, but only
through people’s ruthless and violent competition, so a laissez-faire economic system
was necessary.
Rationale: Social Darwinism distorted Darwin’s ideas to argue that ‘survival of the
fittest’ justified minimal regulation, social inequality, and ruthless economic competition
— used politically to defend laissez-faire capitalism.
13. Why did women’s social clubs become popular in the late nineteenth century?
A. They bequeathed small business loans to women who wanted to become financially
independent.
