FREE! Click here to Join FunTrivia. Thousands of games, quizzes, and lots more!
Quiz about Identify the Quote from American Literature
Quiz about Identify the Quote from American Literature

Identify the Quote from American Literature Quiz


This quiz tests your knowledge of a mix of American literature, with one book for each decade beginning in the 1920s. The pictures may provide hints, or may just be decorative. Happy reading!

A photo quiz by PootyPootwell. Estimated time: 4 mins.
  1. Home
  2. »
  3. Quizzes
  4. »
  5. Literature Trivia
  6. »
  7. Literature by Region
  8. »
  9. American Literature

Time
4 mins
Type
Photo Quiz
Quiz #
393,450
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Easy
Avg Score
9 / 10
Plays
975
Awards
Top 20% Quiz
Last 3 plays: Guest 50 (7/10), Guest 65 (7/10), Guest 75 (6/10).
-
Question 1 of 10
1. "Robert Cohn was once middleweight boxing champion of Princeton." This line is the opening sentence to what work from the 1920s about the lost generation? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. "Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They don't belong no place. They come to a ranch an' work up a stake and then they go inta town and blow their stake, and the first thing you know they're poundin' their tail on some other ranch. They ain't got nothing to look ahead to." These words are from what novel from the 1930s? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. "From that time on, the world was hers for the reading. She would never be lonely again, never miss the lack of intimate friends. Books became her friends and there was one for every mood." This is a passage from what book from the 1940s? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. "Don't ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody." Identify the title of the coming-of-age story published in 1951 that contains this line. Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. "'I love you,' Rachael said. 'If I entered a room and found a sofa covered with your hide I'd score very high on the Voigt-Kampff test.'" What is the name of this sci-fi story from the 1960s? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. "I was born upon the prairie, where the wind blew free and there was nothing to break the light of the sun. I was born where there are no enclosures and where everything drew a free breath." From what 1970 book does this passage originate? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. "Freeing yourself was one thing, claiming ownership of that freed self was another." What is the name of the highly-acclaimed book published in the 1980s set in the American south where this quote can be found? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. "The Santa Anas blew in hot from the desert, shriveling the last of the spring grass into whiskers of pale straw. Only the _______ thrived, their delicate poisonous blooms, their dagger green leaves." This is the first line from what 1999 book, set in southern California? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. "The problem was money and the indignities of life without it. Every stroller, cell phone, Yankees cap, and SUV he saw was a torment. He wasn't covetous, he wasn't envious. But without money he was hardly a man." This passage is from what book published in 2001? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. "'This feather may look worthless, but it comes from afar and carries with it all my good intentions.' And she waited, year after year, for the day she could tell her daughter this in perfect American English." This passage is from a critically-acclaimed novel written in the second half of the 20th century. What is the name of the book? Hint



(Optional) Create a Free FunTrivia ID to save the points you are about to earn:

arrow Select a User ID:
arrow Choose a Password:
arrow Your Email:




View Image Attributions for This Quiz

Most Recent Scores
Mar 28 2024 : Guest 50: 7/10
Mar 28 2024 : Guest 65: 7/10
Mar 27 2024 : Guest 75: 6/10
Mar 25 2024 : Guest 109: 6/10
Mar 25 2024 : GreenChair74: 5/10
Mar 24 2024 : Guest 104: 9/10
Mar 23 2024 : Guest 188: 6/10
Mar 22 2024 : Guest 50: 9/10
Mar 21 2024 : Guest 174: 10/10

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. "Robert Cohn was once middleweight boxing champion of Princeton." This line is the opening sentence to what work from the 1920s about the lost generation?

Answer: "The Sun Also Rises" by Ernest Hemingway

When Ernest Hemingway wrote "The Sun Also Rises", he drew heavily from the lives of his friends, revealing their ill-conceived hook-ups, drunken conversations, and general post-war malaise. His sparse, minimalist writing was revolutionary in style, and the book was both a best-seller and a critical darling.

This image is of a Christian Bible, from which Hemingway drew the title of his novel.
2. "Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They don't belong no place. They come to a ranch an' work up a stake and then they go inta town and blow their stake, and the first thing you know they're poundin' their tail on some other ranch. They ain't got nothing to look ahead to." These words are from what novel from the 1930s?

Answer: "Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck

John Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men" is about George and Lennie, two men trying to find work during the Great Depression. Although it contains some adult language and themes, the book presents several moral quandaries, which makes it a popular choice in American literature classes. It was published in 1937.

In the quote cited, George is referring to the realities of season workers, such as the lack of stability and the low wages.

The image is of a rabbit. This was one of Lennie's favorite topics from the novel; he would often ask George to tell him about the ranch they might have of their own one day, one where they would have rabbits of their own.
3. "From that time on, the world was hers for the reading. She would never be lonely again, never miss the lack of intimate friends. Books became her friends and there was one for every mood." This is a passage from what book from the 1940s?

Answer: "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith

"A Tree Grows in Brooklyn", published in 1943, focused on the life of young Francie Nolan and her family, who struggle to survive through poverty and alcoholism. The author, Betty Smith, had a similar childhood and wrote with compassion about Francie's father's alcoholism. Like Francie, Smith found solace in books.

The acorn in this image represents a tree.
4. "Don't ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody." Identify the title of the coming-of-age story published in 1951 that contains this line.

Answer: "The Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger

The catcher's glove in this image isn't just a reference to Salinger's novel; a glove also plays an important role in the story. Holden talks poignantly about his brother, Ally, who had died. Ally had played baseball, and was often in the outfield, where he saw little action. He'd write poems along the glove so he could read poetry while in the field.

"The Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger was published in 1951 to great acclaim.
5. "'I love you,' Rachael said. 'If I entered a room and found a sofa covered with your hide I'd score very high on the Voigt-Kampff test.'" What is the name of this sci-fi story from the 1960s?

Answer: "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick

Philip K. Dick wrote "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" which was published in 1968. It's a dystopian story in which an android-hunting police officer is tasked with locating and destroying rogue androids. The Voigt-Kampff test referred to in the quote is the test humans use to distinguish humans from androids, as they are nearly identical. Rachel, who has learned she is an android, is explaining to Decker that she has feelings for him that are real, no matter what she is.

This image of a donkey is a rather obscure clue. Donkeys were one of the animals that were extinct in the world in "Do Androids Dream?" It is one of the symbols you will find in the novel and not the film version of the novel, "Blade Runner", which was released in 1982.
6. "I was born upon the prairie, where the wind blew free and there was nothing to break the light of the sun. I was born where there are no enclosures and where everything drew a free breath." From what 1970 book does this passage originate?

Answer: "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee" by Dee Brown

Dee Brown wrote with such compassion and historical detail about the plight of Native Americans, people assumed he was Native American himself, but he was not; he was born in Louisiana to parents of western European heritage. He was a librarian until he devoted himself to writing full-time. "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee" was published in 1970 to great critical acclaim.

This image is of a battlefield, one similar to Wounded Knee, which was where over 50 Lakota native Americans were killed in 1890.
7. "Freeing yourself was one thing, claiming ownership of that freed self was another." What is the name of the highly-acclaimed book published in the 1980s set in the American south where this quote can be found?

Answer: "Beloved" by Toni Morrison

Toni Morrison's "Beloved" was published in 1987 and won the the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1988. The intense story revolves around a former African-American slave, Sethe, and her children. Morrison's books "Jazz" and "Paradise", along with "Beloved", make up what critics have called the Beloved trilogy.

This rose represents love, pointing to "Beloved".
8. "The Santa Anas blew in hot from the desert, shriveling the last of the spring grass into whiskers of pale straw. Only the _______ thrived, their delicate poisonous blooms, their dagger green leaves." This is the first line from what 1999 book, set in southern California?

Answer: "White Oleander" by Janet Fitch

"White Oleander" is California native Janet Fitch's second novel. It follows the life of a young girl named Astrid and the bond she has with her beautiful, murderous mother. The book was named to Oprah's Book Club and became a best seller.

This image is supposed to be of an oleander, a shrub that happens to be quite toxic. You will often see it along California highways, as they provide greenery and require very little water.
9. "The problem was money and the indignities of life without it. Every stroller, cell phone, Yankees cap, and SUV he saw was a torment. He wasn't covetous, he wasn't envious. But without money he was hardly a man." This passage is from what book published in 2001?

Answer: "The Corrections" by Jonathan Franzen

Jonathan Franzen wrote "The Corrections," which was published in 2001. It follows the story of a family: two elderly parents and three grown children. The passage quoted above relates to Chip, a once-promising young scholar felled by a series of bad decisions. The novel won the National Book Award the year it was published.

This image is a red pencil, similar to one a teacher may use to make corrections on homework or tests.
10. "'This feather may look worthless, but it comes from afar and carries with it all my good intentions.' And she waited, year after year, for the day she could tell her daughter this in perfect American English." This passage is from a critically-acclaimed novel written in the second half of the 20th century. What is the name of the book?

Answer: "The Joy Luck Club" by Amy Tan

"The Joy Luck Club" is Amy Tan's first novel and has multiple narratives from a variety of mothers and daughters. Part of it is based on Tan's own experiences, as when she was a teenager she learned she had half-siblings in China, a family her mother hadn't told her about. The novel, published in 1989, was a finalist for the National Book Award that year.

This image is of a mahjong set, a game the characters in Amy Tan's novel would play regularly.
Source: Author PootyPootwell

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor looney_tunes before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.
3/29/2024, Copyright 2024 FunTrivia, Inc. - Report an Error / Contact Us