LITR 4232 American Renaissance

2004 Midterm

LITR 4232: American Renaissance, UHCL, fall 2004—Midterm Exam

Date: 7 October 2004   Format: Open-book, open-notebook (but not a cure-all)

2 options for taking exam

·        in-class: 11:30-12:50; write in ink on exam sheet for ID’s; write in ink on paper or bluebook for essay

Special instructions for email students:

·        The exam will be emailed (and posted to the webpage) around 11:15am; return it by 1:30pm. Within that span you may spend 80 minutes writing the exam. Keep a log of when you start & stop. Breaks or pauses are OK.

·        Send your answers to me at whitec@uhcl.edu. Attach your file to the message and paste the contents into the email.

·        I will acknowledge receipt of your emailed exam within a few hours. If you do not receive acknowledgement within 24 hours, be concerned.

·        Make sure that the email address is for whitec and not just white.

·        Ask for help from a tech or a techie friend.

·        Call me at 281 283 3380. Leave a voice message.

Required references to previous midterms & student presentations:

·        Somewhere in your midterm, refer to webpage midterm samples at least once (any year)

·        Somewhere in your midterm, refer to student presentations at least once (any year, but probably this year)

Part 1. “Identify and signify.” (15-20 minutes)

Choose and analyze a passage from our course readings—and make it matter!

·        Choose a passage. First, consult your memory: Which page or moment in our texts reminds itself to you? Ask yourself why, then start explaining why the passage speaks to you or why you’ve chosen it. Personal reasons are all right for starters, but “universalize” the passage’s appeal or significance. The passage may or may not be one we went over in class, but it should connect to one or more of the course objectives or themes. You might treat two passages as long as they’re intimately and directly connected to each other.

·        Analyze. Midterm samples can provide examples of this process. Describe how the language works to create meaning, appeals to readers, and develops themes or ideas. Analyze the textual passage on its own terms or by comparing it to other texts.

·        Make it matter. Why or how does the passage speak to literary and/or cultural issues in and beyond this course?

Part 2. Essay section (50 minutes to 1 hour)

·        Indicate which essay option you’re choosing (Option X: Formal / Literary or Option Z: Cultural / Historical).

·        If one option overlaps with another, that may not be a problem. The two questions offer different approaches to similar materials.

·        If the content of the essay section overlaps with the content of the Identify/Signify section, just be quick about it. Feel free to refer to points developed earlier in the exam.

Option X: Formal / literary option

Assignment: Discuss how American authors use one or more elements of Romanticism to represent the challenges and realities of American history, the American landscape, and / or the American people.

·        Refer to three or more texts from our course readings. (Feel free to refer briefly to authors beyond the course, but not required.)

·        Concentrate on one or two aspects from objective 2 or elsewhere: the romance narrative, the gothic, the sublime, Transcendentalism, or combinations.

·        Compare and contrast authors and texts with each other. (Don't treat texts in isolation—make them talk to each other!)

·        Conclude strongly: What have you learned about Romanticism or its elements and / or about the USA?

Option Z: Cultural / historical option

How has literature of the American Renaissance challenged or developed your ideas of American culture or history and the role of literature in shaping and understanding it?

·        Refer to at least 3 texts from our readings. Compare and contrast authors and texts with each other.

·        You might choose 3 or more texts that chart the range of cultural history represented by American Renaissance literature. (Your three texts might handle different issues that come together to make a wide picture of American culture.)

·        Or you might align three or more texts that deal with a single issue or identity, e. g., American Indians, abolition of slavery, women’s rights, literacy / education, gaining a voice, American identity, etc. (Don’t feel limited to this list. Try out an idea that matters to you.)

·        Remember this is a Literature course and emphasize the language being used, issues of literacy or voice, or other elements that link literature and language with culture and history

·        Conclude strongly: What have you proved or learned about our past and present by reading literature and cultural history together?