Mini-test #1 VQ #4/5/6 SolutionAfrican American drama has, until recently, been rooted in the mimetic tradition of modern American naturalism. The drama has a strong bond with the tradition of modern American naturalism. So far we do know what we will have ahead of this first statement.
The most distinctive attribute of this tradition is the mechanistic, materialistic conception of humanity. The tradition of modern American naturalism has a key feature: that humanity and maybe as a consequence human beings see or care a lot of the material side: cars, houses , and so on.
Naturalism sees each individual as inextricably bound to the environment and depicts each person as someone controlled by, instead of controlling, concrete reality. every human being is controlled and is strongly related to his/her environment and the reality around them
As long as African American drama maintained naturalism as its dominant mode, it could only express the “plight of African American people”. If the American naturalism is related and maintains a bond with the material things that forge the life of those people, then we can only express the difficulties of the African American people
Its heroes might declare the madness of reality, but reality inevitably triumphed over them. The heroes - I am not sure who are these heroes but I believe prominent figures - African American people can only denote or report that the reality around them is crazy and this is unfair. However, this will win. No matter what.
The surrealistic plays of Adrienne Kennedy mark one of the first departures from naturalism by an African American dramatist. I believe the theatrical piece of Adrienne Kennedy is a shift from the configuration depicted above
The overall goal of her work has been to depict the world of the soul and the spirit, not to mirror concrete reality. As can we easily infer, Kennedy narrates about the soul and the spirit and how they are important in contrast to a tyrannic reality
Within this framework, Kennedy has been able to portray African American minds and souls liberated from their connections to the external environment.The important goal Kennedy achieved was that African American can be free from the chains of reality, elevating and - most important - freeing them.
1. Which of the following best states the central idea of the passage?
A. African American drama has been primarily influenced by naturalisms emphasis on the materialistic.
This is in the first part of the passage but is NOT the main point. It serve as a sort of framing of what is important later on in the passage. Tricky
B. African American drama has traditionally acknowledged the relationship between the individual and the environment.
NO, it has a key feature about but we do not know if it USUALLY recognizes that
C. African American drama, traditionally naturalistic, has been little influenced by dramatist Kennedy’s spiritual and psychological approach to drama.
Not so much information about that
D. The work of Kennedy suggests a shift away from a commitment to strict naturalism in African American drama.
Yes. It is mentioned clearly in the last part of the passage and it is the main goal of the passage itself
E. The work of Kennedy best exemplifies the current interest of African American artists in the spiritual and psychological worlds.
No mention about that
2. According to the passage, Kennedy is concerned with depicting the
A. internal rather than the external life of her characters
B. madness of reality rather than the effects of reality
C. effects of materialism on African American minds and souls
D. relationship between naturalism and the human spirit
E. effects that her characters have on the environment
Pretty straight question: Kennedy is concerned mainly of minds and souls of African American rather than the reality around them
3. Which of the following statements, if true, would most strengthen the authors assertion that Kennedy’s work marks a serious departure from the tradition described in the first paragraph?
A. Kennedy places the action in a real-life setting that is nevertheless unfamiliar to the average viewer or reader.
Kennedy's play never mentions real-life setting
B. Kennedy movingly portrays the lives and struggles of prominent African Americans in the United States.
No mention of this in the passage: she depicts prominent personalities
C. Kennedy uses characters found only in ancient African legends and mythology.
The heroes. Keep this for now
D. Kennedy provides insights into American mimetic tradition and dramatic convention.
No She narrated about minds and souls
E. Kennedy depicts the events in a style reminiscent of a television documentary.
Completely out of scope
By POE C is the best answer
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