essay assignment 61

Texts to choose from:

Due Date: Upload the midterm to Canvas by 11:59 pm on Wednesday, April 17, 2019.

This assignment will not be eligible for a revision. Once access to the assignment closes in Canvas, it may no longer be submitted.

Maximum Points Possible: 200

Exam Choice One: Four short essays worth 50 points each

Each short essay should be approximately one page in length (typed in a 12-point font and double-spaced) but no more than two pages each. Make sure to include at least one quote from the selected text. Answer all four questions. Use a different text selection for each question; you may not write about the same text twice.

Question 1:

Select one text and connect it to the appropriate “ism” (i.e., Realism, Naturalism, Modernism, Surrealism, Idealism, Magical Realism). Explain how the text is representative of the “ism” it corresponds with. Be specific and consider multiple defining characteristics. Part of the exploration can be a consideration of the historical context associated with the “ism” and the selected text.

Question 2:

Select the text you feel you can relate to the most. Explain how you are able to connect to the text. Connections may be personal or they may demonstrate how the text relates to today’s world. Draw specific parallels between the text and the connection.

Question 3:

Of the choices above, select the text that most merits inclusion in the literary canon. Include a definition of the canon and then explain how the selected text meets the criteria and is an exemplary piece of literature. Be specific in your rationale.

Question 4:

Select a character from one of the texts above. Examine the character arc: this is the character’s inner journey and possible transformation. If the character does change throughout the course of the text, how is the transformation relevant? If the character does not change, why is the lack of change significant?

Exam Choice Two: One long essay worth 200 points

Respond to one of the questions listed below in essay form. The essay should be typed and double-spaced in a 12-point font such as Times New Roman or similar. Outside research is not permissible. Your essay should be about approximately four pages but no more than six. The essay should fully explore the question demonstrating a balanced analysis of both selected texts.

Develop a clear introduction that includes hook, context, and thesis. Body paragraphs should show a balance of analysis for both text selections. You should have atleast four quotations from the textsto support your assertions. Make sure to include parenthetical citations after each quote to indicate page number. Conclusions should consider both texts and connect to the focus of the paper. Write for an audience beyond our classroom.

Choice One:

Imagery and symbolism help to emphasize theme and create tone. Select two textsfrom the list above and analyze recurring images or symbols referenced. Some things to consider are where the symbol(s) occurs in the text and the feelings it evokes. Why are the images and/or symbols significant? What specific examples from the text make you draw the conclusions you do? You are free to develop your own interpretation as long as you have proof in the pages of the text to support your assertions. NOTE: A higher grade will be given for discussion of symbols not discussed at length in class.

OR

Choice Two:

Several of the texts we have covered in this portion of the course have explored how the central character reacts to the world around him/her. Select two texts from the list above and analyze the actions of the protagonist and the interpersonal relationships the protagonist has. What sense of society/culture/time period does the text evoke?How does the protagonist represent the world beyond the text? Are there any connections between the characters? You may not select characters covered on the same day in class (i.e., Isabella Tyson and J. Alfred Prufrock) NOTE: A higher grade will be given for analysis of textual observations that were not discussed at length in class.

You can pick which one to do and the stories also to choose