In contemporary autobiographical works by Black Americans experiments

Para 1: In Contemporary autobiographical work-- prose appear in similar frequency as traditional history chronology. A well crafted autobiography is literary as it contains historical narrative even with personal history. however life experiences/storytelling of many black autobiographers approach have gone beyond limits of standard historical narrative. Some forms of the approach are discussed

Para 2: Such forms were present in autobiographies of some prominent figures but for some reason they did not choose to unfold them. Case in point is WDuBois

Para 3: WDuBois early chapters focused on latest trip that brings his madly changed view of society and he credits this not only latest tour but all those preceding it. he traverses all them and comes back to his birth place. He sees history as cyclical and linear and autobiographies capture this dual outlook expressed in traveller's image. WDuBois focused on content. Author writes that now WDuBois has found right narrative and telling truth he lived over his lifetime.

Main Point: Author introduces extraordinary approach of black autobiographers and says such forms were present in prominent figures but they did not unfold them. One such prominent figure is WBDuBois, whose autobiographies is disussed. Author presents his view that WDuBois has now found right narrative.

1. Which of the following would be the most appropriate title for the passage?

A. Literary Qualities Seldom Found in Autobiographies
-- The passage talks about literary qualities when it says that a well crafted autobiography is literary as it contains historical narrative even with personal history. Hence saying that qualities were seldom found in autobiographies will be incorrect

B. Cultural Variations among Traditional Historical Chronologies
-- The passage does not discuss on cultural variations among traditional historical chronologies

C. Contrast Among Historical Views of Black Autobiographies
-- The passage does not contrast among historical views of autobiographies . In fact not many historical views have been provided. Hence out

D. Narrative Styles in the Autobiographies of Contemporary Black Americans
-- The passage is about narrative styles in contemporary black americans. Contemporary and well crafter autbiography was one style, however life experiences of black americans style and form go beyond a limit. It discusses presence of such forms in WDuBois and prominent figures but not fully exploited. Later WDubois adopted the style and found right narrative
This is the answer

E. Origins of Narrative Forms Refined by Contemporary Black American Autobiographers
-- The passage is not about origin of narrative forms refined by contemporary black american autobiographers. It is discussing one form and an example of prominent figure who could not use it


2. The author develops his topic by

A. noting the origins of a distinction and questioning its contemporary value
-- Author does present the distinction of beyond limit storytelling but never questions its contemporary value

B. explaining an assertion and providing illustrative examples
-- Author presents contemporary autobiographical works and then present beong limit storytelling of black american autobiographers ans explains forms of important figures. He then provides illustrative examples
This is the answer

C. presenting the implications of a paradox and evaluating their importance
-- Author does not present any paradox and evaluates their importance.

[s]D. revealing the internal inconsistencies of a position and formulating a more coherent position[/s]
-- Author does not formulate a more coherent position. Infact author mentions his take only at the end that WDuBois has not found right narrative

E. offering an alternative conclusion and supporting that alternative
-- Author does offer an alternate conclusion


3. According to the passage Du Bois described his life in terms of which of the following?
"These dislocations in chronological time convey Du Bois' image of his life as a long spiral. The line is traced by the successive journeys that often traverse terrain previously covered. These returns signify continuity and repetition, just as Du Bois' experiences as a Black American did not change in some fundamental respects"

Du Bois' Autobiography report impressions of his latest trip across Europe and what follows is an account of his madly changed view of society, a change that occurred, he asserts, as a result not only of his latest tour, but also of the trips that had preceded it.

I. Continuity
-- Looks good

II. Repetition
-- Looks good

III. Change
-- "just as Du Bois' experiences as a Black American did not change in some fundamental respects. Yet the tine also wavers in response to new historical forces, sweeping him and almost everyone else along on an altered path" Hence even his life went on an altered path which means some change. Also he started writing truth which is change..

A. I only
B. II only
C. I and II only
D. 1 and III only
E. I, II, and III : This is the answer



4. The author implies that the life experiences of a number of Black autobiographers led them to do which of the following?

A. Conclude that the well-crafted autobiography is inevitably literary
-- The passage says any well crafted autobiography is literary so Life experiences do not led autobiographers to conclude anything on well-crafted autobiography

B. Challenge the belief that Du Bois' Autobiography is structured chronologically

-- Life experiences do not led autobiographers to challenge the belief that WDuBois autobiography is structured chronologically

C. Adopt the style used by Du Bois in his earliest writing
--No where it is mentioned that black autobiographers adopted style used by WDuBois

D. Question whether autobiography is a special kind of historical narrative
-- Life experience do not imply questioning whether autobiography is special kind of historical narrative

E. Experiment with the techniques of fiction in their autobiographical writing
-- This looks good as the the illustrative examples of life experiences include producing a vernacular narrative that captures an authentic speaking voice and Another being novelistic narrative,
This is the answer


5. The author expressly names each of the following places EXCEPT

A. the town where Du Bois was born
-- mentioned in para 3 as "his birthplace "by a golden river and in the shadow of two great hills" in Great Barrington, Massachusetts"

B. the city in which Du Bois started writing his autobiography
--City when WDubois started writing is not mentioned
this is the answer

C. the country where Du Bois became a voluntary exile
-- mentioned in Para 2 "A case in point is the Autobiography of W. E. B. Du Bois, completed in 1960 when the Black sociologist and leader was over ninety and a voluntary exile in Ghana."

D. two continents that Du Bois crossed during the fifteenth journey of his career
-- Moscow, Prague are mentioned which is part of Asia and Europe and journey was not the latest but traced by the successive journeys that often traverse terrain previously covered

E. several national capitals to which Du Bois journeyed
-- mentioned in Para 3 "Only after these factors are set forth does the narrator return, via the cities of Prague, Moscow, and Peking, to the beginning: "


6. Of the following, which best describes the author's attitude toward autobiographies that extend "beyond the limits of the standard historical narrative" (Highlighted)?

A. acceptance
-- It denotes author's acceptance as the word usage is beyond limites. Also the author at end of passage mentions that WDuBois found the right narrative and is telling truth he lived over a century
This is the answer

B. indifference
-- The tone is not of indifference and hence out

C. ambivalence
-- the author expresses by using beyond limits, authentic speaking voice, novelist narrative so it does not capture ambivalence

D. impatience
-- Author is not being impatient with the storytelling coming from life experiences

E. condescension
-- Author is not condescending anything here, hence out


7. The author states that Du Bois' Autobiography reveals which of the following about the narrator?

A. His sensed that his life experiences had been very different from those of most Black Americans.
-- Du Bois' experiences as a Black American did not change in some fundamental respects" and saying that he sensed that experiences had been very different is incorrect

B. He had recently formulated an entirely original sociological thesis.
-- An entirely original sociological thesis is not mentioned in the passage, hence out
Yet the tine also wavers in response to new historical forces, sweeping him and almost everyone else along on an altered path.

C. He had subordinated his lifelong interest in history to his emerging interest in literature.
-- No where the passage mentions that he had subordinated his lifetime interest in history and hence out

D. He felt that his life had been fundamentally altered by historical forces.
-- Para 3 says, "Yet the tine also wavers in response to new historical forces, sweeping him and almost everyone else along on an altered path" and hence we can say that he felt that his life has been fundamentally altered by historical forces.
This is the answer

E. He thought that he was the first American writer to exploit literary techniques in an autobiographical narrative.
-- Nowhere it mentioned that WDubois thought he was the first american writer to exploit literary techniques...he was one among prominent writers....hence out


8. The author implies that it was only in Du Bois' later years that Du Bois did which of the following?

A. Consciously perfected the expressive style that he began to develop as a young writer.
-- "Of special interest is the fact that such forms also are evident in the autobiographies of some prominent figu"

B. Exploited the expressive possibilities of narrative form.
-- We cannot say WDubois exploited expressive possibilities as the author say that the form was present but he has chosen not to unfold them. Hence out

C. Evaluated the significance of his accomplishments as a Black leader.
-- Nowhere it is mentioned that WDuBois evaluated significant of his accomplishments as a black leader and hence out

D. Revisited his birthplace.
-- Para.3 says that "Only after these factors are set forth does the narrator return, via the cities of Prague, Moscow, and Peking, to the beginning: his birthplace " and "These dislocations in chronological time convey Du Bois' image of his life as a long spiral." Hence he revisited his birthplace can be safely implied
This is the answer

E. Transcended his desire to formulate a coherent view of history.
-- Nowhere WDuBois expressed his desire to formulare coherent view of history...hence out