American Literature CLEP Prep Practice Exam

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Who wrote the short story The Lottery?

Zora Neale Hurston
Herman Melville
William Faulkner
Shirley Jackson

The correct answer is: Shirley Jackson

The other options are incorrect because they were either not known for writing short stories, or they were not known to have written The Lottery specifically. Zora Neale Hurston was an influential writer of the Harlem Renaissance, but was known primarily for her novels and non-fiction work. Herman Melville was a 19th century American novelist who is best known for writing Moby-Dick, not short stories. William Faulkner was a Nobel Prize-winning author, primarily known for his novels and short stories set in the American South. Shirley Jackson, on the other hand, was an American author who is best known for her horror and mystery fiction, including the short story The Lottery. Therefore, Shirley Jackson is the correct answer as the author of The Lottery.