Victory and Despair: The Roaring Twenties, Modernism, and Postwar Outlooks — Test
Question 17 • American Literature and Composition
Read the excerpt from the interview with E.Y. (Yip) Harburg. When I lost my possessions, I found my creativity. I felt I was being born for the first time. So for me the world became beautiful. With the Crash, I realized that the greatest fantasy of all was business. The only realistic way of making a living was versifying. Living off your imagination. Based on the excerpt, which best describes Harburg’s view of the Great Depression?
Answer
A
He values artistic success over financial success for himself.
B
He has no interest in financial success for himself.
C
He believes most people benefited from losing their financial stability.
D
He regrets the fact that he gave away his money to benefit his art.
Explanation
Harburg says that after losing his possessions, he discovered his creativity and began making a living through versifying—writing poetry or lyrics. He describes business as a fantasy and imagination as the realistic path for him, showing that he came to value artistic success over financial success. The excerpt does not say that everyone benefited from losing financial stability or that he deliberately gave his money away.
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