LIT2090, Final Examination
This final assignment builds upon the type of reading and writing that we have done throughout the semester. By this point in the term, you should feel confident in your abilities to read, analyze, and interpret a text.
The final exam will consist of ONE ESSAY QUESTION that you select from the list below.
Begin your answer with a general statement that answers the question presented (this is your claim/thesis). Support this statement with examples from the text(s) under discussion and analysis of each example (Support your assertions with evidence from each text and explain each example’s relevance to your claim/thesis). Be sure to cite quoted lines and complete a works cited page. Write in complete sentences shaping your response in essay form. Please give your essay a title.
All answers should be typed and double-spaced, a min. of 4 FULL pages up to 6 pages (this does page requirement does not include the works cited page). Your answers should be presented in formal essay form with an introduction, body, and conclusion.
What you are presenting is formal literary criticism, so all the rules that typical apply to that type of writing apply here as well (no first person, no contraction, no personal pronouns, no plot summary, etc.). See the specifics below about purpose and audience.
PLEASE IDENTIFY THE PROMPT YOU HAVE CHOSEN ON YOUR FINAL MS WORD DOCUMENT THAT YOU WILL UPLOAD TO ULEARN BY CLASS TIME ON THE DUE DATE (SEE COURSE SCHEDULE).
When considering the answer to your prompt, consider the role that gender, race, ethnicity, sexual identity, and/or social class (and any combination of these) might play within the context of each question.
CHOOSE ONE:
PROMPT #1:
The idea of emotional trauma is a theme that many of the works that we have read this term have in common. As we have witnessed, dealing with and attempting to heal emotional wounds is a complex process, one that involves forgiveness of self and forgiveness of others. Using FOUR of the works that we have read this term, argue how dealing with these wounds ultimately leads to positive or negative outcomes and why this is significant in each individual work and the group of texts as a whole. Support your argument with specific evidence from each piece. One of your four chosen texts must be a poem, one must be a short story, one must be The Best We Could Do, and one must be The Bluest Eye.
PROMPT #2:
In their unique ways, each of the pieces that we have read this term has raised important questions about the role of family in one's life. Whether this is a biological unit or a "chosen" family, this group of individuals can sometimes be one's greatest source of strength or weakness. Using FOUR of the texts that we have read this term, explain what common role family plays in these works and why that is important to a viewer's/reader's understanding of them. Support your argument with specific evidence from each text. One of your four chosen texts must be a poem, one must be a short story, one must be The Best We Could Do, and one must be The Bluest Eye.
PROMPT #3:
Often individuals create a fantasy world in an attempt to deal with the absurdity of their lives. At times, however, characters get so lost in these fantasies that they struggle with the differences between their imagined worlds and the reality they inhabit. Using FOUR of the texts that we have read this term, examine the tension between these two worlds and argue what you see as each writer's purpose in commenting on this tension. Do these four author's share a common goal in this regard? Support your argument with specific evidence from each text. One of your four chosen texts must be a poem, one must be a short story, one must be The Best We Could Do, and one must be The Bluest Eye.
Poems and Short Stories You May Use:
"Run, Mourner, Run" by Randall Kenan
"Woman Hollering Creek" by Sandra Cisneros
"The Only Traffic Signal on the Reservation Doesn't Red Anymore"
"My Dear You" by Rachel Kong
"A Map to the Next World" by Joy Harjo
"Aubade with Burning City" by Ocean Vuong
"A Litany for Survival" by Audre Lorde
"Como Tu/Like You/Like Me" by Richard Blanco
"Declaration" by Tracy K. Smith
NOTE: THE IDEAS FOUND IN THIS PAPER MUST BE YOUR OWN. YOU MAY NOT USE OUTSIDE SOURCES!
What is Literary Criticism and How Do I Write a Paper of This Nature?
At its very basic definition, literary criticism is a written evaluation of a work of literature that attempts to enlighten a reader about the underlying meaning of the text, whether it is a play, poem, short story, or novel.
Purpose
In this type of paper a writer is forming an academic argument. As the writer you are arguing that your interpretation of the text is a valid - not the only interpretation - in an attempt to aid the reader in “seeing” the text in a new light or from a different perspective that perhaps may be different from their own.
Audience
Your audience is made up of academics, scholars, literary critics, professors, and students (who are academics, scholars, and literary critics). You should assume that they have read the text and are familiar with its contents. Because of this you would never merely retell the story because your audience is already familiar with it. This would also conflict with the purpose of this type of paper. You are to discuss underlying meaning, not retell the events of the story.
Because your audience is a scholarly one, your paper must be presented in a formal manner. You should use high diction and avoid first person, personal pronouns, and contractions.
Development
In developing your ideas, you should concern yourself with three important steps. First you must make a writerly assertion about the content of your text. As your second step, to “prove” this assertion as a valid one, a writer would then need to provide evidence from the text under discussion to support that assertion. In other words, you need to provide a quote, but set it up as when you do by explaining where this quote appears in the text (i.e., what is happening in regard to plot) and who is speaking. Keep in mind, however, that you cannot stop here. Providing a quote and then moving on to another idea is not acceptable. As your last step, you must explain how the quote from the text illustrates the assertion that you are attempting to make.
NOTE: When relating events in the story use words such as, " Morrison develops the major characters in the novel..." Notice the use of the active verb "develops." Try to stick with using active verbs as you analyze the story. This is also known as “the literary present tense.”
Format
•Your essay should have a title. It should also be typed, double-spaced, with one inch margins all around, Times New Roman Font, & 12 pt. Refer to OWL PURDUE for other questions about format. Your essay should be a minimum of 4 FULL pages and no more than 6 FULL pages .
In addition to this 4-6 page paper, you must include a WORKS CITED page and use MLA in-text ctiations in the body of your essay.
Again, the ideas in your paper must be your own. You may not use outside sources for this paper.
Your grade for this assignment will be determined as follows:
Total Possible Points: 100
Final Draft, evaluated on the following criteria:
Focus (26 points): Does essay have a clear purpose? Overall claim stated in intro and restated in conclusion? Focus on a single idea or aspect of the literature? Is it clear how examples in body are related to the overall claim? Does the writer explain the broader implications of this claim to the text as a whole? Are the sub-claims clearly related to the claim? When read together, do the intro and conclusion form one idea?
Development (26 points): Does writer support interpretation with evidence from text? Avoid giving a plot summary? Does writer explain for the reader how the evidence supports interpretation (and as a result the claim)? Does writer quote accurately from the source, including citing specific page numbers?
Organization (26 points): Do first few sentences arouse the reader’s interest and focus their attention on the subject? Are readers expectations set and clearly met? Do paragraphs have clear focus, unity and coherence? Effective transitions? Does the writer guide the reader from beginning to end?
Style (11 points): Is language clear direct and readable? Are sentences clear, concise, and easily read by intended audience? Is word choice appropriate for audience? Do sentences reveal and sustain appropriate voice and tone? Does writer use the literary present tense to describe events in the story?
Mechanics (11 points): Are there obvious errors in spelling, punctuation, and grammar? Are there patterns of error?
NO REFLECTION (-10 POINTS)
Grading scale:
A 90-100
B 80-89
C 70-79
D 60-60
F 0-59
