2015年MBA阅读理解强化练习题9
Roger Rosenblatt’s book Black Fiction, in attempting to apply literaryrather than sociopolitical criteria to its subject, successfully alters the
approach taken by most previous studies. As Rosenblatt notes, criticism of Black
writing has often served as a pretext for expounding on Black history. Addison
Gayle’s recent work, for example, judges the value of Black fiction by overtly
political standards, rating each work according to the notions of Black identity
which it propounds.
Although fiction assuredly springs from political circumstances, its
authors react to those circumstances in ways other than ideological, and talking
about novels and stories primarily as instruments of ideology circumvents much
of the fictional enterprise. Rosenblatt’s literary analysis discloses affinities
and connections among works of Black fiction which solely political studies have
overlooked or ignored.
Writing acceptable criticism of Black fiction, however, presupposes giving
satisfactory answers to a number of questions. First of all, is there a
sufficient reason, other than the facial identity of the authors, to group
together works by Black authors? Second, how does Black fiction make itself
distinct from other modern fiction with which it is largely contemporaneous?
Rosenblatt shows that Black fiction constitutes a distinct body of writing that
has an identifiable, coherent literary tradition. Looking at novels written by
Black over the last eighty years, he discovers recurring concerns and designs
independent of chronology. These structures are thematic, and they spring, not
surprisingly, from the central fact that the Black characters in these novels
exist in a predominantly white culture, whether they try to conform to that
culture or rebel against it.
Black Fiction does leave some aesthetic questions open. Rosenblatt’s
thematic analysis permits considerable objectivity; he even explicitly states
that it is not his intention to judge the merit of the various works — yet his
reluctance seems misplaced, especially since an attempt to appraise might have
led to interesting results. For instance, some of the novels appear to be
structurally diffuse. Is this a defect, or are the authors working out of, or
trying to forge, a different kind of aesthetic? In addition, the style of some
Black novels, like Jean Toomer’s Cane, verges on expressionism or surrealism;
does this technique provide a counterpoint to the prevalent theme that portrays
the fate against which Black heroes are pitted, a theme usually conveyed by more
naturalistic modes of expression?
In spite of such omissions, what Rosenblatt does include in his discussion
makes for an astute and worthwhile study. Black Fiction surveys a wide variety
of novels, bringing to our attention in the process some fascinating and
little-known works like James Weldon Johnson’s Autobiography of an Ex-Colored
Man. Its argument is tightly constructed, and its forthright, lucid style
exemplifies levelheaded and penetrating criticism.
1. The author of the text is primarily concerned with
evaluating the soundness of a work of criticism.
comparing various critical approaches to a subject.
discussing the limitations of a particular kind of criticism.
summarizing the major points made in a work of criticism.
2. The author of the text believes that Black Fiction would have been
improved had Rosenblatt
evaluated more carefully the ideological and historical aspects of
Black fiction.
attempted to be more objective in his approach to novels and stories by
Black authors.
explored in greater detail the recurrent thematic concerns of Black
fiction throughout its history.
assessed the relative literary merit of the novels he analyzes
thematically.
3. The author’s discussion of Black Fiction can be best described as
pedantic and contentious.
critical but admiring.
ironic and deprecating.
argumentative but unfocused.
4. The author of the text employs all of the following in the discussion of
Rosenblatt’s book EXCEPT:
rhetorical questions.
specific examples.
comparison and contrast.
definition of terms.
5. The author of the text refers to James Weldon Johnson’s Autobiography of
an ExColored Man most probably in order to
point out affinities between Rosenblatt’s method of thematic analysis
and earlier criticism.
clarify the point about expressionistic style made earlier in the
passage.
qualify the assessment of Rosenblatt’s book made in the first paragraph
of the passage.
give a specific example of one of the accomplishments of Rosenblatt’s
work.
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