CVSP 201 Final, Fall 2003

ID No.: CVSP 201 Final Examination Make-up for Inga Schei KAREN PINTO American University of Beirut 2004-01-30 Write 2 essays. Each one is worth 50% of your grade. Essay I (50%) In The Fantastic: A Structural Approach to a Literary Genre, Tzvetan Todorov says: "The fantastic requires the fulfillment of three conditions. First, the text must oblige the reader to consider the world of the characters as a world of living persons and to hesitate between a natural and a supernatural explanation of the events described. Second, this hesitation may also be experienced by a character; thus the reader's role is so to speak entrusted to a character, and at the same time the hesitation is represented, it becomes one of the themes of the work — in the case of the naive reading, the actual reader identifies himself with the character. Third, the reader must adopt a certain attitude with regard to the text: he will reject allegorical as well as "poetic" interpretations." Discuss Todorov's appraisal of the fantastic with reference to at least TWO texts we read this semester. You may if you wish cite more than two. Essay II -------(50%) Construct an Imaginary Debate between you and your classmate/s, or friends, or enemies on ONE of the topics listed below. ***REMEBER THAT YOU HAVE TO PRESENT VALID ARGUMENTS FOR ***BOTH***SIDES OF THE DEBATE!!! ***DO NOT JUST PRESENT an ARGUMENT for ONE side!!!! Iam looking for the creation of a debate such as the many we had in class. ***BE SURE TO BOLSTER YOUR ARGUMENTS WITH REFERENCES TO THE READINGS!!! 1) The Stoic vs Epicurean Approach to Life 2) The Quest for Ultimate Happiness Good Luck ;->