AP French French: Literary & Historical Contexts 2

Question 1

Marcel Proust's monumental seven-volume novel is titled 'À la recherche du temps perdu.' What English title is it most commonly known by?

Accepted Answer

Both A and B are used

Answer

Proust's masterwork is published in English under both 'Remembrance of Things Past' (older Moncrieff translation) and 'In Search of Lost Time' (modern translations).

Question 2

Which period in French history (1940-1944) refers to the German Occupation of France during World War II, a common literary and historical reference?

Accepted Answer

L'Occupation

Answer

L'Occupation (1940-1944) refers to the period of Nazi German control over France, which profoundly shaped French literature, memory, and identity.

Question 3

Simone de Beauvoir's 'Le Deuxième Sexe' (1949) is a foundational text for which intellectual and social movement?

Accepted Answer

Le féminisme

Answer

Le Deuxième Sexe is a cornerstone feminist text arguing that women are not born but made ('On ne naît pas femme, on le devient'), founding modern feminist theory.

Question 4

The Académie française, founded in 1635, primarily serves which function relevant to the French language?

Accepted Answer

Réglementer et protéger la langue française

Answer

The Académie française is the official body responsible for matters relating to the French language, including producing the authoritative French dictionary.

Question 5

Which term describes the period roughly from 1871 to 1914 in France, characterized by prosperity, technological innovation, and artistic flourishing?

Accepted Answer

La Belle Époque

Answer

La Belle Époque ('The Beautiful Era') is fondly remembered as a time of peace, prosperity, and cultural blossoming in France before World War I.

AP Practice Test

AP Practice Test

AP French French: Literary & Historical Contexts 2