Introduction to Literature of Rebellion in the Twentieth Century
Question 21 • Health and Wellness Education
Read the excerpt from On the Road.In those days he really didn’t know what he was talking about; that is to say, he was a young jailkid all hung-up on the wonderful possibilities of becoming a real intellectual, and he liked to talk in the tone and using the words, but in a jumbled way, that he had heard from “real intellectuals”—although, mind you, he wasn’t so naïve as that in all other things, and it took him just a few months with Carlo Marx to become completely in there with all the terms and jargon. Which is a key feature of Kerouac’s syntax that contributes to his writing style?
Answer
A
the use of contrasting, varied sentences
B
the use of long, uninterrupted sentences
C
the use of short, direct sentences
D
the use of unpunctuated, experimental sentences
Explanation
The excerpt uses a long sentence that moves through several connected thoughts, including explanations and asides. Its clauses are joined with commas and conjunctions, creating a flowing, uninterrupted rhythm. This is characteristic of Kerouac’s use of long, uninterrupted sentences, rather than short, direct sentences.
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