Question

4.4.3 test (cst): wrap-up: modernism and the american dream
when he aims for something to be always a-moving, he makes it long ways, like a road or a horse or a wagon, but when he aims for something to stay put, he makes it up-and-down ways, like a tree or a man. and so he never aimed for folks to live on a road, because which gets there first, i says, the road or the house? did you ever know him to set a road down by a house? i says.
which best explains how faulkner uses a modernist technique in this passage?
a. he captures the imperfect, disorganized way that anse thinks and feels.
b. he depicts anse as lacking faith and rejecting religion and traditional beliefs.
c. he uses slang and informal language to show how anse actually talks.
d. he uses fragmentation, telling the story with gaps the reader must fill in.

Explanation:

Modernist literature often focuses on the inner thoughts and stream - of - consciousness of characters, showing the imperfect and disorganized nature of human thinking. Option A aligns with this as it emphasizes capturing Anse's disordered thinking and feeling. Option B is incorrect as the passage doesn't show Anse rejecting religion. Option C, while the language is informal, the key Modernist technique here is about representing thought, not just speech style. Option D is wrong as there's no fragmentation with gaps for the reader to fill; the passage is a relatively coherent (in terms of the character's voice) monologue.

Answer:

A. He captures the imperfect, disorganized way that Anse thinks and feels.