Victory and Despair: The Roaring Twenties, Modernism, and Postwar Outlooks — Test
Question 16 • American Literature and Composition
Read the excerpt from the interview with E.Y. (Yip) Harburg. We thought American business was the Rock of Gibraltar. We were the prosperous nation, and nothing could stop us now. A brownstone house was forever. You gave it to your kids and they put marble fronts on it. There was a feeling of continuity. If you made it, it was there forever. Suddenly the big dream exploded. How do Harburg’s words reflect the experience of many Americans during the Great Depression?
Answer
A
Like Harburg, many made meticulous plans to prepare for the Depression.
B
Like Harburg, many expected that they could maintain their possessions through the Depression.
C
Like Harburg, many were shocked by stock market collapse and ensuing Depression.
D
Like Harburg, many were grateful for the lessons they learned from the Depression.
Explanation
Harburg describes Americans believing prosperity and security would last: “nothing could stop us” and a home seemed to be “there forever.” The sudden collapse of that confidence is captured in the words “the big dream exploded.” This reflects how many Americans were shocked by the stock market collapse and the hardship of the Great Depression, so the best choice is “Like Harburg, many were shocked by stock market collapse and ensuing Depression.”
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