AP World History : Literature, Art, and Architecture 1900 to Present

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for AP World History

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Example Questions

Example Question #1 : Literature, Art, And Architecture 1900 To Present

Which artistic movement originated in the Soviet Union?

Possible Answers:

Art Deco

Expressionism

Socialist-Modernism

Impressionism

Socialist Realism

Correct answer:

Socialist Realism

Explanation:

Socialist realism was a rejection of "bourgeoisie" artistic styles in favor of sculptures, paintings, and works of literature that celebrated the lives of workers and peasants. It was also used as propaganda to promote the rule of the Communist Party and the Soviet Government.  

Example Question #1 : Literature, Art, And Architecture 1900 To Present

Which German-language writer was a strong opponent of the Nazi party and Adolf Hitler during World War II?

Possible Answers:

Arno Schmidt

Thomas Mann

Knut Hamsun

Franz Kafka

Gunter Grass

Correct answer:

Thomas Mann

Explanation:

Thomas Mann fled Nazi Germany in 1933 and recorded anti-Nazi speeches during the WWII period that were disseminated through the BBC in Britain. Kafka died in 1924 before the rise of Hitler. Grass and Schmidt both served in the German army during parts of WWII, though they later came to criticize the regime. Hamsun was not a German-language writer but rather Norwegian, and also a well-known supporter of the Nazi regime. 

Example Question #2 : Literature, Art, And Architecture 1900 To Present

In response to the aftermath of World War I, poet T.S. Eliot created what quintessential modern poem?

Possible Answers:

The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock

The Second Coming

The Waste Land

In the Station at the Metro

Lament Por Ignacia Sanchez Mejias

Correct answer:

The Waste Land

Explanation:

First published in 1922, Thomas Stearns Eliot's 'The Waste Land' is widely considered one of the most important poems of the 20th century. The poem has a complex structure and draws on ancient mythology, other famous works of literature, and various moments in history. The poem reflects the general feeling of existential angst following the devastation of World War I and the not-uncommon notion that the future of humanity was, indeed, hopeless.

Example Question #3 : Literature, Art, And Architecture 1900 To Present

What title is often attributed to the period following World War I during which a considerable population of expatriate artists migrated to Paris?

Possible Answers:

Post-Colonialism

The Realists

The Golden Age, or the Jazz Age

The Surrealists

The Victorian Era

Correct answer:

The Golden Age, or the Jazz Age

Explanation:

During the Golden Age, writers like Gertrude Stein, Ernest Hemingway, Ezra Pound, James Joyce, F. Scott Fitzgerald, painters such as Picasso and Dali, along with musicians like Cole Porter, created something of a community of expatriate artists. They often drank to excess while also providing key artistic feedback to one another. It was a period of prolific creativity and the possibility for the artistic community to respond to the state of the world after World War I. Various literary movements resulted through their collaborations, including Surrealism, Imagisme, and stream of consciousness. The time period is chronicled in Hemingway's memoir A Moveable Feast.

Example Question #4 : Literature, Art, And Architecture 1900 To Present

The artistic Age of Anxiety followed _____________.

Possible Answers:

the end of World War I

the Russo-Japanese War

the rise of nuclear armament

the end of World War II

decolonization and the end of imperialism

Correct answer:

the end of World War I

Explanation:

The so-called Age of Anxiety is used to describe artistic endeavor in Europe during the 1920s and 1930s. This was a time period marked by the horrors of the First World War and the uncertainties of the Great Depression. Artists like Hemingway and Picasso are said to exemplify the Age of Anxiety.

Example Question #5 : Literature, Art, And Architecture 1900 To Present

In post-Revolution Mexico, which of the following was included as part of the policy of "indigenism"?

Possible Answers:

The Mexican muralist movement, including the works of Diego Rivera and Jose Clemente Orozco

Attempts to Westernize Mexican art and remove indigenous influences

Removal of Spanish influences from Mexican culture

Indigenism influenced the style of the 1917 constitution

Emulation of Soviet "Social Realism"

Correct answer:

The Mexican muralist movement, including the works of Diego Rivera and Jose Clemente Orozco

Explanation:

Indigenistas believed that creating national artistic and cultural production as essential to creating a national identity. It was argued that national artists' inspiration should be derived from ancient Indigenous aesthetics such as the Aztec. During the Mexican Revolution, indigenous images were used as official nationalist symbols and after the revolution the government continued to use indigenous symbols to establish the roots of Mexican culture and identity. Much of this expansive artistic production was done if the form of murals on public buildings. Important artists included Diego Rivera and Jose Clemente Orozco.

Example Question #6 : Literature, Art, And Architecture 1900 To Present

Which of the following authors wrote The Stranger, a book considered by many to be a seminal work of existentialism?

Possible Answers:

Ernest Hemingway

Jonathan Swift

F. Scott Fitzgerald

Albert Camus

Geoffrey Chaucer

Correct answer:

Albert Camus

Explanation:

Hemingway and Fitzgerald were writers during the Lost Generation, when Existentialism was extremely popular, however neither of them wrote the book in question, so they would not be good choices. Chaucer and Swift lived before Existentialism existed, so they could not possibly be contenders for the author. Lastly, Camus is arguably most famous for The Stranger, and as such he is the best choice.

Example Question #7 : Literature, Art, And Architecture 1900 To Present

Which of the following writers cannot be classified as a practitioner of literary Modernism?

Possible Answers:

William Faulkner

T.S Eliot

Virginia Woolf

James Joyce

All of these writers are noted practitioners of Modernism

Correct answer:

All of these writers are noted practitioners of Modernism

Explanation:

The correct answer is "none of the other answers" because the 4 writers listed are all canon practitioners of literary Modernism. Modernism, as an artistic school, has been a major movement in visual art, architecture, and the literary arts, but the movement had different manifestations and occurred at different times.

Example Question #8 : Literature, Art, And Architecture 1900 To Present

The Nobel Prize for Literature was first awarded in 1901 and has been awarded in all but seven of the past hundred and fifteen years since.

Which country has the most Nobel Prize winners for Literature? 

Possible Answers:

United Kingdom

France

United States

Germany

Sweden

Correct answer:

France

Explanation:

France has the most Nobel Prize winners for literature with 15. The rest of the list is as follows: USA (10), UK (10), Germany (8), Sweden (6). 

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