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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. In "Harmonica Frank -1951," what song does Marcus say "set the stage for rock 'n' roll"?
2. What happened the first day of The Band's first concert after releasing The Band?
3. In "The Band," Marcus tells that groups are images of what?
4. Who interrupts the fight over the book in the Prologue?
5. What is American culture built on according to Marcus?
Short Essay Questions
1. According to the prologue, what is Greil Marcus' purpose in writing Mystery Train?
2. According to Marcus in the introduction to "The Band," what message did The Band send to its audience?
3. 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?
4. In "The Band," what happens when the Band plays in San Francisco after releasing their first two albums?
5. Who is Marcus' audience for Mystery Train and how do you know?
6. Who are Harmonica Frank and Robert Johnson? Why are they included in the book?
7. Why might "The Band" be subtitled "Pilgrim's Progress"?
8. According to Marcus in "Harmonica Frank -1951," why would Lyndon Johnson and Harmonica Frank get along?
9. In "The Band," what is significant about a group according to Marcus in "Crossing the Border"?
10. Describe the example of an artist that Greil Marcus uses in the prologue. Who is an artist and why? Why are the other people in the example not artists?
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
Greil Marcus discusses The Band, Sly Stone, Randy Newman, and Elvis as the inheritors of Harmonica Frank's and Robert Johnson's music. In an essay identify how Harmonica Frank and Robert Johnson are ancestors.
Essay Topic 2
Both Harmonica Frank and Robert Johnson have some claim as the originator of rock 'n' roll. In an essay, compare and contrast the two men including their styles, their audiences, and their legacies. At the end of your essay, identify if Harmonica Frank, Robert Johnson, or both are the true originator of rock 'n' roll. Use details from Mystery Train to support your conclusions.
Essay Topic 3
Religion or the lack of religion pervades the music of most of the artists in Mystery Train. Identify what religious images are found in songs by the Band and/or Elvis Presley. What do the images mean? Are they being used literally or metaphorically? For what purpose.
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This section contains 1,327 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) |
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