CLEP® American Literature Book + Online

By Jacob Stratman

Earn College Credit with REA's Test Prep for CLEP® American Literature

Everything you need to pass the exam and get the college credit you deserve.

CLEP® is the most popular credit-by-examination program in the country, accepted by more than 2,900 colleges and universities. For over 15 years, REA has helped students pass the CLEP® exam and earn college credit while reducing their tuition costs.

Our CLEP® test preps are perfect for adults returning to college (or attending for the first time), military service members, high-school graduates looking to earn college credit, or home-schooled students with knowledge that can translate into college credit.

There are many different ways to prepare for the CLEP® exam. What's best for you depends on how much time you have to study and how comfortable you are with the subject matter. Our test prep for CLEP® American Literature and the free online tools that come with it, will allow you to create a personalized CLEP® study plan that can be customized to fit you: your schedule, your learning style, and your current level of knowledge.

Here's how it works:

Diagnostic exam at the REA Study Center focuses your study
Our online diagnostic exam pinpoints your strengths and shows you exactly where you need to focus your study. Armed with this information, you can personalize your prep and review where you need it the most.

Most complete subject review for CLEP® American Literature
Our targeted review covers the material you'll be expected to know for the exam and includes a glossary of must-know terms.

Two full-length practice exams
The online REA Study Center gives you two full-length practice tests and the most powerful scoring analysis and diagnostic tools available today. Instant score reports help you zero in on the CLEP® American Literature topics that give you trouble now and show you how to arrive at the correct answer - so you'll be prepared on test day.

REA is the acknowledged leader in CLEP® preparation, with the most extensive library of CLEP® titles available. Our test preps for CLEP® exams help you earn valuable college credit, save on tuition, and get a head start on your college degree.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Research & Education Association
• Release date: Nov 1, 2016
• ISBN: 9780738685571

Book preview

Ill.

Chapter 1

Passing the CLEP

American Literature Exam

Congratulations! You’re joining the millions of people who have discovered the value and educational advantage offered by the College Board’s College-Level Examination Program, or CLEP. This test prep focuses on what you need to know to succeed on the CLEP American Literature exam, and will help you earn the college credit you deserve while reducing your tuition costs.

GETTING STARTED

There are many different ways to prepare for a CLEP exam. What’s best for you depends on how much time you have to study and how comfortable you are with the subject matter. To score your highest, you need a system that can be customized to fit you: your schedule, your learning style, and your current level of knowledge.

This book, and the online tools that come with it, allow you to create a personalized study plan through three simple steps: assessment of your knowledge, targeted review of exam content, and reinforcement in the areas where you need the most help.

Let’s get started and see how this system works.

THE REA STUDY CENTER

The best way to personalize your study plan is to get feedback on what you know and what you don’t know. At the online REA Study Center, you can access two types of assessment: a diagnostic exam and full-length practice exams. Each of these tools provides true-to-format questions and delivers a detailed score report that follows the topics set by the College Board.

Diagnostic Exam

Before you begin your review with the book, take the online diagnostic exam. Use your score report to help evaluate your overall understanding of the subject, so you can focus your study on the topics where you need the most review.

Full-Length Practice Exams

Our full-length practice tests give you the most complete picture of your strengths and weaknesses. After you’ve finished reviewing with the book, test what you’ve learned by taking the first of the two online practice exams. Review your score report, then go back and study any topics you missed. Take the second practice test to ensure you have mastered the material and are ready for test day.

If you’re studying and don’t have Internet access, you can take the printed tests in the book. These are the same practice tests offered at the REA Study Center, but without the added benefits of timed testing conditions and diagnostic score reports. Because the actual exam is Internet-based, we recommend you take at least one practice test online to simulate test-day conditions.

AN OVERVIEW OF THE EXAM

The CLEP American Literature exam consists of approximately 100 multiple-choice questions, each with five possible answer choices, to be answered in 90 minutes.

The exam covers the material one would find in a college-level American Literature course. It tests your knowledge about literary works written in the United States from colonial times to the present.

The approximate breakdown of topics covered on the exam is shown in the following chart:

What’s on the Exam—by Topic

Source: College Board, 2014. Percentages are approximate.

The subject matter of the CLEP American Literature exam is drawn from the chronological periods shown in the following chart:

What’s on the Exam—by Literary Period

Source: College Board, 2014. Percentages are approximate.

The Optional Essay Section

An optional essay section can be taken in addition to the multiple-choice test. The essay section requires that two essays be written during a total time of 90 minutes.

The first essay requires test-takers to write a well-organized essay on a common theme that runs through American literature. A list of major American authors is provided and candidates are asked to discuss how this theme is handled in works by any two of the listed authors.

For the second essay, test-takers are asked to respond to one of two topics — one requiring analysis of a poem, the other requiring analysis of a prose excerpt. In each case, the specific poem or prose excerpt is presented and relevant questions are offered to guide your response.

The essay section is graded by faculty at the institution from which you wish to earn credit and is administered in paper-based format. Be aware that there is an additional fee for taking this section, payable to the institution where you take the exam.

ALL ABOUT THE CLEP PROGRAM

What is the CLEP?

CLEP is the most widely accepted credit-by-examination program in North America. The CLEP program’s 33 exams span five subject areas. The exams assess the material commonly required in an introductory-level college course. Examinees can earn from three to twelve credits at more than 2,900 colleges and universities in the U.S. and Canada. For a complete list of the CLEP subject examinations offered, visit the College Board website: www.collegeboard.org/clep.

Who takes CLEP exams?

CLEP exams are typically taken by people who have acquired knowledge outside the classroom and who wish to bypass certain college courses and earn college credit. The CLEP program is designed to reward examinees for learning—no matter where or how that knowledge was acquired.

Although most CLEP examinees are adults returning to college, many graduating high school seniors, enrolled college students, military personnel, veterans, and international students take CLEP exams to earn college credit or to demonstrate their ability to perform at the college level. There are no prerequisites, such as age or educational status, for taking CLEP examinations. However, because policies on granting credits vary among colleges, you should contact the particular institution from which you wish to receive CLEP credit.

How is my CLEP score determined?

Your CLEP score is based on two calculations. First, your CLEP raw score is figured; this is just the total number of test items you answer correctly. After the test is administered, your raw score is converted to a scaled score through a process called equating. Equating adjusts for minor variations in difficulty across test forms and among test items, and ensures that your score accurately represents your performance on the exam regardless of when or where you take it, or on how well others perform on the same test form.

Your scaled score is the number your college will use to determine if you’ve performed well enough to earn college credit. Scaled scores for the CLEP exams are delivered on a 20–80 scale. Institutions can set their own scores for granting college credit, but a good passing estimate (based on recommendations from the American Council on Education) is generally a scaled score of 50, which usually requires getting roughly 66% of the questions correct.

For more information on scoring, contact the institution where you wish to be awarded the credit.

Who administers the exam?

CLEP exams are developed by the College Board, administered by Educational Testing Service (ETS), and involve the assistance of educators from throughout the United States. The test development process is designed and implemented to ensure that the content and difficulty level of the test are appropriate.

When and where is the exam given?

CLEP exams are administered year-round at more than 1,200 test centers in the United States and can be arranged for candidates abroad on request. To find the test center nearest you and to register for the exam, contact the CLEP Program:

CLEP Services

P.O. Box 6600

Princeton, NJ 08541-6600

Phone: [phone] (8 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET)

Fax: [phone]

Website: www.collegeboard.org/clep

The new CLEP iBT exams

To improve the testing experience for both institutions and test-takers, the College Board’s CLEP Program has transitioned its 33 exams from the eCBT platform to an Internet-based testing (iBT) platform. All CLEP test-takers may now register for exams and manage their personal account information through the My Account feature on the CLEP website. This new feature simplifies the registration process and automatically downloads all pertinent information about the test session, making for a more streamlined check-in.

OPTIONS FOR MILITARY PERSONNEL AND VETERANS

CLEP exams are available free of charge to eligible military personnel and eligible civilian employees. All the CLEP exams are available at test centers on college campuses and military bases. Contact your Educational Services Officer or Navy College Education Specialist for more information. Visit the DANTES or College Board websites for details about CLEP opportunities for military personnel.

Eligible U.S. veterans can claim reimbursement for CLEP exams and administration fees pursuant to provisions of the Veterans Benefits Improvement Act of 2004. For details on eligibility and submitting a claim for reimbursement, visit the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs website at www.gibill.va.gov.

CLEP can be used in conjunction with the Post-9/11 GI Bill, which applies to veterans returning from the Iraq and Afghanistan theaters of operation. Because the GI Bill provides tuition for up to 36 months, earning college credits with CLEP exams expedites academic progress and degree completion within the funded timeframe.

SSD ACCOMMODATIONS FOR CANDIDATES WITH DISABILITIES

Many test candidates qualify for extra time to take the CLEP exams, but you must make these arrangements in advance. For information, contact:

College Board Services for Students with Disabilities

P.O. Box 8060

Mt. Vernon, Illinois 62864-0060

Phone: [phone] (Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET)

TTY: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

E-mail: [e-mail]

6-WEEK STUDY PLAN

Although our study plan is designed to be used in the six weeks before your exam, it can be condensed to three weeks by combining each two-week period into one.

Be sure to set aside enough time—at least two hours each day—to study. The more time you spend studying, the more prepared and relaxed you will feel on the day of the exam.

TEST-TAKING TIPS

Know the format of the test. Familiarize yourself with the CLEP computer screen beforehand by logging on to the College Board website. Waiting until test day to see what it looks like in the pretest tutorial risks injecting needless anxiety into your testing experience. Also, familiarizing yourself with the directions and format of the exam will save you valuable time on the day of the actual test.

Read all the questions—completely. Make sure you understand each question before looking for the right answer. Reread the question if it doesn’t make sense.

Read all of the answers to a question. Just because you think you found the correct response right away, do not assume that it’s the best answer. The last answer choice might be the correct answer.

Work quickly and steadily. You will have 90 minutes to answer 100 questions, so work quickly and steadily. Taking the timed practice tests online will help you learn how to budget your time.

Use the process of elimination. Stumped by a question? Don’t make a random guess. Eliminate as many of the answer choices as possible. By eliminating just two answer choices, you give yourself a better chance of getting the item correct, since there will only be three choices left from which to make your guess. Remember, your score is based only on the number of questions you answer correctly.

Don’t waste time! Don’t spend too much time on any one question. Remember, your time is limited and pacing yourself is very important. Work on the easier questions first. Skip the difficult questions and go back to them if you have the time.

Look for clues to answers in other questions. If you skip a question you don’t know the answer to, you might find a clue to the answer elsewhere on the test.

Be sure that your answer registers before you go to the next item. Look at the screen to see that your mouse-click causes the pointer to darken the proper oval. If your answer doesn’t register, you won’t get credit for that question.

THE DAY OF THE EXAM

On test day, you should wake up early (after a good night’s rest, of course) and have breakfast. Dress comfortably, so you are not distracted by being too hot or too cold while taking the test. (Note that hoodies are not allowed.) Arrive at the test center early. This will allow you to collect your thoughts and relax before the test, and it will also spare you the anxiety that comes with being late.

Before you leave for the test center, make sure you have your admission form and another form of identification, which must contain a recent photograph, your name, and signature (i.e., driver’s license, student identification card, or current alien registration card). You may wear a watch. However, you may not wear one that makes noise, because it may disturb the other test-takers. No cell phones, dictionaries, textbooks, notebooks, briefcases, or packages will be permitted, and drinking, smoking, and eating are prohibited.

Good luck on the CLEP American Literature exam!

Chapter 2

The Colonial and Early

National Period (1620–1820)

Because this chapter covers over two hundred years in American literary history, I decided to write a brief introduction for each section instead of a larger introduction. I hope you find each section and its introduction useful as you attempt to place these authors and their works in a particular cultural/historical context.

NATIVE AMERICAN LITERATURE: BEFORE THE BEGINNING

Europeans, as a whole, did very little to understand the complex and rich history and literature of the native peoples of the new world. America was filled with hundreds and hundreds of societies that maintained their own language, history, literature, and lifestyle. Unlike European countries, these native societies passed down the traditions and histories of the people through song, dance, and storytelling. Much like the ancient Greeks, Native Americans used stories, now called myths, to explain cultural, historical, religious, and scientific phenomena. It was not until the nineteenth century that Euro-Americans started to take seriously the history of these people, which led numerous historians, writers, and ethnographers to translate these histories, stories, poems, and songs into English. What is common to most of these societies is the creation story. All cultures pass down stories that explain the creation of the world. Most anthologies include the Iroquois Creation Story as translated by David Cusick, a Tuscarora, who was educated in a Christian mission school in New York. His translation, titled A Tale of the Foundation of the Great Island (Now North America), the Two Infants Born, and the Creation of the Universe, is summarized here:

There existed two worlds: the lower world filled with darkness and the upper world filled with mankind. On the upper world, a woman was to give birth to twins. In labor, the woman begins to slip down into the lower world. To save her, one of the creatures dives into the great waters to secure a piece of earth, while a great turtle, with a piece of earth on his shell, descends to retrieve the woman. During labor, the twins begin to feud with each other, which leads to the woman’s death once they are born. Still in the darker lower world, the turtle grows into a large island, and the twins prosper. One twin is named the good mind, while the other is named the bad mind. The good twin decides to bring life to the lower world, so he begins to create the universe.* Eventually, the bad mind challenges the good mind to battle for control of the universe. The good mind wins; however, the bad mind, before cast into the lower world, declares that he will have equal power over the souls of mankind after death. (Baym et al. 2008, 21)

EUROPEAN EXPLORATION: THE BEGINNINGS

It is important to understand that American literature does not begin with white English settlers in 1620. Although most courses (and tests, for that matter) usually begin with the Puritans, please take the time to read a few excerpts from the works of European explorers and the Native Indians that were so influential to American literature. The makeup of this country’s literary background becomes quite complex when we add the different elements of Spain, England, France, Africa, and the many other countries that sent immigrants to its shores from the fifteenth to the seventeenth centuries.

Christopher Columbus (1451–1506)

American students have been raised on facts surrounding Columbus and his explorations of America. This young seaman found great favor and support from Spain’s monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabella. This relationship gave him the financial and moral support to sail to the west several times from 1492 to 1504. Although older history books usually gloss over how these voyages affected the native peoples, writings from the time clearly indicate conflict between the Spaniards and the Native Americans. Modern scholars are lucky to have the journal that Columbus wrote of those voyages along with many letters that he penned concerning life at sea and on the new land. Take note that Columbus’s Journal of the First Voyage to America was more than likely summarized and collected by Bartolome de las Casas, so many anthologies include Columbus’s letters in its stead. I suggest reading the excerpts of those letters.

Alvar Nuñez Cabeza de Vaca (ca. 1490–1558)

If you peruse any current anthology, you will notice that de Vaca is getting a lot more space than Columbus. The reason could be that his history of exploration in America is much more appealing to the adventurous reader. The Relation [or Narrative] of Alvar Nuñez Cabeza de Vaca was first published in Spain in 1542 and then again in 1555 as an address to Charles V about an expedition that occurred around 15 years previously. This highly tumultuous trip involved Hispaniola, Cuba, and, eventually, Florida, where many men were lost in explorations. De Vaca, on the other hand, continued his explorations, eventually landing in Texas where he was imprisoned and enslaved by local Indian tribes. He spent many years after that time in Mexico (and parts that are now the United States), but he eventually returned to Spain where he hoped to write of his adventures and expose European explorers to the rights and lives of Native Americans. Because of creative differences with other explorers and politicians, de Vaca was exiled to Algeria in 1551. Each major anthology now includes several selections from his narrative. I suggest reading several sections and comparing the tone and details with those of Columbus’s narrative.

THE COLONIAL PERIOD: LITERATURE FROM 1620 TO 1750

In most scholarly circles, it is agreed that the novel as a genre did not exist until the eighteenth century. So what is American literature if it is not fiction? Well, literature that makes up early American literature is filled with Native American creation stories, European exploration diaries, spiritual autobiographies, captivity narratives, drama, poems, and various genres such as epics and romances that are considered precursors to the novel. Not only should you be able to recognize various authors and texts in their cultural context, but you should also be able to define and discuss the myriad of literary genres that were used during the beginning decades of American literature.

John Smith (1580–1631)

Born in Willoughby, England, Smith worked on the family farm until around the age of 15 when he became an apprentice to a shopkeeper. Smith’s father died in 1596, which allowed the young boy to live out his dream of travel and seafaring. As a soldier, Smith fought in the Netherlands to help the Dutch secure their independence from Spain’s Philip II. After many stints in Europe, Smith joined the Austrian army as they battled with the Turks (1593–1606). It was during one of these battles that Smith was captured and imprisoned by the Turks, only to escape after murdering his master and returned to England in 1605.

During this time, exploration became more of a corporate venture than a heroic one. Under the royal guidance of England’s James I and the financial backing of various investors who desired to colonize North America, Smith joined the Virginia Company and landed in Virginia in 1607. (Virginia was the territory between Canada and Florida.) As a councilman, and later the president or governor of the new colony at Jamestown, Smith was labeled as stubborn, high-tempered, arrogant, and generally troublesome.

Smith has been popularized by his own narrative of how he was captured by Powhatan, chief of the Chesapeake Bay Indians, and was then rescued by the chief’s daughter, Pocahontas. Scholars argue whether the event actually happened, or at least whether Smith’s portrayal of his capture, imprisonment, and eventual rescue is factual. Regardless, the narrative (see Must Read box) addresses the ongoing conflicts between European colonizers and the native peoples of America and the many struggles the settlers faced in the New World: disease, lack of food and supplies, and the weather.

After several more explorations in the New World, Smith began writing of his adventures in America in an attempt to encourage others to settle there: A True Relation of Such Occurrences and Accidents of Note as Hath Happened in Virginia (1608); A Map of Virginia, with a Description of the County (1612); A Description of New England (1616); New England’s Trial’s (1620 and 1622); and later, The True Travels, Adventures, and Observations of Captain John Smith, In Europe, Asia, Africa, and America (1630). The most famous, and most anthologized, of his writings is The General History of Virginia, New England, and the Summer Isles (1624), which contains six books of collected and original writings; therefore, Smith has been considered more of an editor than an author. Here, he details the construction of the Virginia colony along with explorations of New England and Bermuda. This collection is considered one of the first histories of the English colonies in America.

Must Read

From The General History of Virginia, New England, and the Summer Isles. From the Third Book. From Chapter 2: What Happened till the First Supply.

The Pilgrims (1620)

Although the settling of Jamestown, Virginia, is largely discussed as a commercial venture, the settling of New England by the Pilgrims and the Puritans revolves around the religious unrest in England. The sixteenth to seventeenth century was a time of much political and religious unrest in England. After the Protestant Reformation, King Henry VIII established the Church of England and published the first authorized Bible in English (1534). In 1553, a Catholic Queen, Mary Tudor, assumed the throne. However, Elizabeth I reestablished the Church of England after the death of Queen Mary in 1558. This history is important to establish the state’s powerful involvement in church affairs. At this time, there were sects of Christian reformers who struggled to purify the Church of England of any resemblance to Roman Catholicism. These Puritans were not liked by English royalty, including James I, who authorized an official English translation