Test Review
TO BUILD A FIRE
What happens when the man tries to spit on the ground, and why is the man startled by it?
What word best describes the attitude of the main character in this story?
Why does the man have an “amber beard?”
What literary device is used when the author tells us that the protagonist has a keen awareness of the hidden springs of water?
What are all the factors that led to the man’s death?
What happened to the dog in the story?
What are the chief differences in the character of the dog versus the man?
Civil Disobedience
What is the central theme of Thoreau’s essay?
What is Thoreau’s primary evidence used to back up his claims in “Civil Disobedience?”
Thoreau believes that instead of blindly following government laws, a man should always do what?
What analogy does Thoreau make between acorns, chestnuts, and man?
Why was Thoreau released from jail?
The conclusion of Thoreau’s essay advocates a government that does what?
NATURE
What is the primary theme of this essay?
Where would Emerson choose to spend most of his time if allowed?
What is Emerson referring to in relation to the “Universal Being?”
Which season does Emerson like best?
Who does Emerson say sees nature best?
SELF-RELIANCE
What does Emerson mean when he writes “no kernel of nourishing corn can come to him but through his toil”?
What truth does Emerson want us to take away from this essay about our role in our society?
What does Emerson believe about society as a whole?
What is the main theme of “Self-Reliance”?
What does Emerson consider to be “genius”?
According to Emerson, what is “a deliverance that is not delivered”?
What does “Providence” mean in the context of this essay?
When Emerson says that a person “should learn to detect and watch that gleam of light which flashes across the mind from within,” with what does the metaphor compare a sudden idea?