GRE Question of the Day (June 15)

Verbal

There can be no doubt that the emergence of the Negro writer in the post-war period stemmed, in part, from the fact that b. he was inclined to exploit the opportunity to 61 write about himself. It was more than that, however. The movement that has variously been called the "Harlem Renaissance," the "Blank Renaissance," and the "New Negro Movement" was essentially a part of the ao) growing interest of American literary circles in the immediate and pressing social and economic problems. This growing interest coincided with two developments in Negro life that fostered the growth of the New us) Negro Movement. These two factors, the keener realization of injustice and the improvement of the capacity for expression, produced a crop of Negro writers who constituted the "Harlem Renaissance."
The literature of the Harlem Renaissance was, for the most part, the work of a race-conscious group. Through poetry, prose, and song, the writers cried out against social and economic wrongs. They protested against segregation and lynching. They demanded higher wages, shorter hours, and better conditions of work. They stood for full social equality and first-class citizenship. The new vision of social and economic freedom that they had did not force them to embrace the several foreign ideologies that sought to sink their roots in some American groups during the period.

The writers of the Harlem Renaissance, bitter and cynical as some of them were, gave little attention to the propaganda of the socialists and communists. The editors of the Messenger ventured the opinion that the New Negro was the "product of the same worldwide forces that have brought into being the great liberal and radical movements that are now seizing the reins of power in all the civilized countries of the world." Such forces may have produced the New Negro. but the NS) more articulate of the group did not resort to advocating the type of political action that would have subverted American constitutional government. Indeed, the writers of the Harlem Renaissance were nor so much co revolting against the system as they were protesting its inefficient operation. In this approach, they proved as characteristically American as any writers of the period.

Which of the following is implied by the statement that the writers of the Harlem Renaissance "were not so much revolting against the system as they were protesting its inefficient operation"?

A) Black writers played only a minor part in protesting the injustices of the period.
B) Left to itself, the system was certain to function efficiently.
C) Black writers, in general, were not opPosod to the system as such.
D) In order for the system to operate efficiently, blacks must seize the reins of power in America.
E) Black writers were too caught up in aesthetic questions to identify the true nature of the conflict.

Correct Answer - C - (click and drag your mouse to see the answer)

With which of the following statements regarding the writers of the Harlem Renaissance would the author most likely agree?

A) They needed to increase their commitment to international solidarity.
B) Their awareness of oppression caused them to reject American society.
C) They transformed their increasing social and political consciousness into art.
D) Their art suffered from their overinvolvement in political crusades.
E) Their detachment from their subject matter lessened the impact of their work.

Correct Answer - C - (click and drag your mouse to see the answer)

Question Discussion & Explanation
GRE Question of the Day - Click to Subscribe via email