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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.
Short Answer Questions
1. Who wrote the book discussed in the Prologue?
2. According to the Prologue, why are Harmonica Frank and Robert Johnson included in Mystery Train?
3. Who said "I learned the words to Little Richard's songs the best I could and what I couldn't figure out didn't matter"?
4. How many songs did Johnson record before he died?
5. In "The Band," Marcus tells that Robbie Robertson believed the "music" came from where?
Short Essay Questions
1. Just before "The Righteous Land," Marcus quotes from "We Can Talk About It Now." The storyteller in the song tells "there's no need to slave. The whip . . . is in the grave" (53). What type of imagery does this line have and what does it mean?
2. What imagery does Robert Johnson often use in his music? What do these images convey?
3. According to Marcus in "The Band," how are Harmonica Frank and Robert Johnson relevant to The Band?
4. In "The Band," why do the other members of the Band become known as Robbie Robertson's foil?
5. In "Robert Johnson -1938," what common theme does Robert Johnson's music have with music by Eric Clapton?
6. Why might "The Band" be subtitled "Pilgrim's Progress"?
7. Describe Harmonica Frank. What did he do? What did he look like? What made him unique?
8. In "Harmonica Frank - 1951," what exactly is the American spirit that Marcus believes Harmonica Frank brought to rock n' roll?
9. Compare and contrast Harmonica Frank and Robert Johnson in terms of style. Use details from both "Harmonica Frank - 1951" and "Robert Johnson -1938." How are the two styles similar? What about the lyrics are different?
10. In "The Band," what is significant about a group according to Marcus in "Crossing the Border"?
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
The Great Divide is a strong image used by the band and one that merited discussion by Greil Marcus in "The Band." In an essay examine why the Band would be drawn to this image. How is it metaphoric? What does it mean? How is it American?
Essay Topic 2
The archetypal theme, desire for freedom, is more than apparent in Harmonica Frank's style and life. Write an essay analyzing how this is an archetypal theme and how Harmonica Frank represents it in his music and life.
Essay Topic 3
Freedom is an American theme explored in rock 'n' roll. Choose one artist and using their lyrics identify their concept of freedom (or the lack of it). Does the artist's music reflect the American idea of freedom?
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This section contains 1,223 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) |
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