Question 2 • Hopkins FA American Literature (2026-2027)
Read the excerpt from “The Railroad Earth.”It was the fantastic drowse and drum hum of lum mum afternoon nathin' to do, ole Frisco with end of land sadness——the people——the alley full of trucks and cars of businesses nearabouts and nobody knew or far from cared who I was all my life three thousand five hundred miles from birth-O opened up and at last belonged to me in Great America.Which best describes the effect of the author’s word choice?
Answer
A
It portrays the dialect used by the people of ole Frisco.
B
It creates a musical, rhythmic quality.
C
It details the author’s hectic lifestyle.
D
It provides information about the author’s background.
Explanation
The repeated sounds and playful, rhythmic phrases—such as “drowse and drum hum” and “lum mum”—make the passage feel musical. Although “nathin’” and “ole” suggest dialect, the word choice’s main effect is to create a musical, rhythmic quality, not to describe the author’s background or busy lifestyle.
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