ENG 225 Final, Spring 2008

Final Exam — American Literature from 1900 ekg A. Identifications (15 minutes) ~ if a character, give a short but specific one-sentence description that indicates who that character is, from what work, and who wrote it. Ifa quote, indicate, if possible, which character said it, from what work, and who wrote it. 1. Santiago 2. Mr. Shiftlet 3. “...’m putting my queer shoulder to the wheel.” 4. June Star 5. Lennie Small 6. “It’s the theatrical/ Comeback in broad day/ To the same place, the same face, the same brute/ Amused shout: / ‘A miracle!’/ That knocks me out.” 7. Carl Lindstrum 8. “She would of been a good woman. ..if it had been somebody there to shoot her every minute of her life.” 9. Jordan Baker 10. George Willard 11. Joy Hopewell 12. Candy 13. Chris Christopherson 14. Old Bull Lee 15. Mrs. Cope B. Essay — Poetry (30 minutes) Pick one of the following topics and write 3-4 paragraphs on that topic. 1. Compare and contrast, stylistically and thematically, the poetry of Robert Frost and Gary Snyder. 2. Compare and contrast, stylistically and thematically, the poetry of Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton. ws Compare and contrast, stylistically and thematically, the poetry of Allen Ginsberg and Carl Sandburg. 4. Compare and contrast, stylistically and thematically, the poetry of Gary Snyder and Lawrence Ferlinghetti 5. Compare and contrast, stylistically and thematically, the poetry of Gregory Corso to that of either Anne Sexton or Sylvia Plath. C. Essay — Prose (45 minutes) Pick one of the following topics and write 4-5 paragraphs on that topic, focusing on the theme at hand and providing some in-depth analysis of that theme—nol just saying “it’s there” —as seen in the works indicated. Do not retell the stories, and remember that the quality of your writing is as important as what you write. 1. Discuss the theme of individuality vs. solidarity as seen in Of Mice and Men, The Old Man and the Sea, and On the Road. 2. Discuss the theme of faith as seen in the short stories of Flannery O’Connor, the stories of Sherwood Anderson, and 7he Old Man and the Sea. Discuss the American Dream—people’s vision of it, how it’s achieved, and how it might be changing—as seen in Zhe Great Gatsby, O Pioneers, and Of Mice and Men. i) 4. Discuss the importance of home—what it means to people, what makes a good home, etc.—as seen in Of Mice and Men, The Great Gatsby, and On the Road. 5. Discuss the theme of identity in 7he Great Gatsby, “Good Country People,” and Anna Christie. 6. Discuss the themes of family and raising children as seen in three of the following: one of the stories of Flannery O’Connor, Anderson’s “The Untold Lie,” Of Mice and Men, and/or On the Road. 7. Discuss the themes of teaching and influencing others as seen in three of the following: the stories of Sherwood Anderson, the stories of Flannery O’Connor, The Old Man and the Sea, and/or On the Road. 8 Discuss the themes of artistry and being an artist as seen in the stories of Sherwood Anderson, The Old Man and the Sea, and On the Road.