ENG 225 Final, Spring 1998

a GOOD LUCK! English 225 Final Examination June 20, 1998 i ~ gd da INSTRUCTIONS: Read over the entire examination before you begin to write. o / Make your choices wisely and well, avoiding duplication wherever possible. Be sure you write about the topic, the whole topic, and nothing but the topic, Make frequent and specific reference to the works under discussion. . TIMING: The examination has been planned for two and one-half hours, but you may have an extra twenty minutes (until 10:50 AM) for planning and proofreading if you wish. Give approximately one hour to Part A and one and one-half hours to Part B. FORMAT: Please observe conventional margins and write on every other line. PART A: Long essay. One hour. Choose one, (40%) 1. You have been asked to introduce a group of the general public in Lebanon to American literature. You need to introduce your audience to the idea of a national literature, and specifically to American literature. You must introduce your points through a discussion of at least two of the works you have studied this semester. Remember! You need to persuade your audience that there is such a thing as an American literature. Think! Plan! Organize! 2. In response to tradition-shattering disruptive forces of the twentieth century (the mass destruction and inhumanity of two world wars, the interest in the sub- conscious mind, racism, feminism, etc.) modern writers have turned more and more to innovative stylistic techniques in their attempts to present human experience to their readers. Discuss, with specific reference to The Waste Land, Intruder in the Dust, and Slaughterhouse-Five. N.B. Do not simply list innovative stylistic techniques. Be sure you make a link between the techniques and the ideas presented. PART B. Short essays. One and one-half hours. Choose two, 45 minutes per essay. (60 %) 46 1. Love and sex, Love and sex/sexuality figure prominently in the works you have studied this semester. Of what significance are the love and/or sexual relationships in the working out of the author's theme or themes? Discuss, with specific reference to The Color Purple, Slaughterhouse-Tive, and at least one other work of your choice. 2. Fantasy. Mired in the grim realities of twentieth century materialism, consumerism, industrial monotony, ethnic and racial intolerance, and the ;- recurrent horrors of armed conflict, man constantly seeks relief in fantasy, imagination, and romance. Discuss, with specific reference to The Color Purple, Slaughterhouse-Five, and Intruder in the Dust. 3. Self-Knowledge, "Know Thyself,” a favorite command of the ancient Greeks, seems central to much of modern literature. Discuss the representation of this theme in The Color Purple, Slaughterhouse-Five, and’ The Red Badge of Courage. co \ N.B. In any essay you may introduce additional works to your discussion if you wish. _