Final Eexam Study

English 180: Solberg
Fall 2012

Final Exam Study Guide

OVERVIEW

1. The final is Wednesday December 12, from 1-4:00 p.m. in MLC 2 (basement computer lab). Plan to arrive ahead of time and to spend the full three hours on the exam (you likely will not need three hours, but it's a good idea to block out the full time just in case). Bring pens or pencils and all books we have read so far this semester.
2. I design the final exam to test what I expect you to know at the depth I expect you to know it; I am not looking to trip you up with obscure quotations or highly technical terminology. If you have kept up with the reading, participated in class, worked hard on in-class and out-of-class writing, and asked questions when you were confused, you should be well-prepared, and your studying will consist of reviewing material, not learning it.
3. You are responsible for knowing/understanding the literary devices on the Final Exam Terms to Know List and for knowing ALL texts we have read this semester (see below). You should know the TITLES and AUTHORS of all these texts, including short story titles
4. You will not be able to use any books for Parts I, II, and III. You may use your books on Parts IV and V. Since you can use your books for IV-V, you will have to complete and turn in I-III before you can continue. You may spend as long as you want on each section, but keep in mind my suggested times so that you spend enough time on each section and also have enough time to finish the whole exam.
5. Restrictions: For Part IV, you cannot use the same text as an example for more than one answer. For Part V, you may NOT write about the text on which you wrote Essay #1 OR #2.
6. Grammar/Mechanics/Documentation: • Remember that literary analysis is written in the present tense. • Grammar and spelling errors will detrimentally affect your midterm grade. • In the sections where you can use your books, you should use textual evidence correctly by introducing it with a signal phrase, using quotation marks where you use the author’s exact language, and by using correct parenthetical citations as needed for summary or direct quotations.
7. Leave time at the beginning to PLAN your answers. Leave time at the end to CHECK OVER your work.
8. Where you have choice on the exam, I will grade the first answers I come to, so you do NOT improve your grade and are wasting time by answering more than the number of questions required. If you start an answer but decide you do not want me to grade it, just put a big X through it.).
9. Because I have not yet created the final version of the final exam, the guide gives you an estimated number of questions and point values.

THE FINAL EXAM WILL CONSIST OF THE FOLLOWING SECTIONS:

PART I: Identification [15 points, 25 minutes]. These questions test your knowledge of all the texts we read. You will answer 3-4 of the 5-6 questions given. Each question will give you a quotation from one of our texts. You will need to identify the author, title [novel or story] of the text, character(s) speaking or described or situation described, and significance to the text in 1-2 brief complete sentences. Note: I will use XX, YY, etc. to replace any names of characters, etc. that would allow you to identify the passage.

Example question: With every ounce of strength he could muster, XX raised his head a few inches and saw an animal amid the light, galloping away across the lake. … Eyes burning with sweat, XX tried to make out what it was. … It was bright as a unicorn. … Fighting to stay conscious, XX watched it canter to a halt as it reached the opposite shore. For a moment, XX saw, by its brightness, somebody welcoming it back … raising his hand to pat it … someone who looked strangely familiar … but it couldn’t be …. [Identify the character being described (the “he”).]

Example answer: This passage is toward the end of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and is describing Harry. He has been trying to save himself, Hermione, and Sirius from the Dementers, but his Patronus charm is not strong enough; just as they are about to succumb to the Dementers’ Kiss, someone else’s Patronus saves them, and when Harry looks to see who has created it, he sees someone he thinks is his father but is actually himself when he later goes back in time. This passage is significant first because it involves a spell that relies on a moment of great happiness to conquer the great fear and despair of the Dementers: the scene re-enforces one of the book’s ideas that the good in life is often more powerful than the bad; it also reminds us that the parentless Harry is searching for his identity, and by mistaking himself for his dad, the book re-enforces the idea that who Harry becomes will partly be because of his parents, even if they are not physically present.

HOT TIPS:
1. Review the general plots, titles, authors’ names, and main characters of all the texts from this semester. If you did not read a text, read it!
2. Make sure your provide ALL the required information. If you don’t know a character’s name, identify him/her is some other way (“the husband,” “the store owner,” etc.).
3. Read each question carefully. If you don’t immediately know the text, look for clues in the writer’s style (especially diction) and the plot.
4. Read the text carefully and address the significance in terms of the actual passage AND of the text as a whole.

PART II: Identification B [15 points, 25 minutes]. EXACTLY THE SAME AS PART I, BUT WITH DIFFERENT QUESTIONS. THERE ARE TWO SEPARATE ID SECTIONS IN ORDER TO TEST YOU ON A WIDE A RANGE OF TEXTS.

PART III: Short (Single Paragraph) Essay [20 points, 30 minutes]. This question tests your knowledge of a specific text and literary devices and your ability to write a short interpretive argument. Your reading questions homework and teamwork this semester has helped prepare you for this question. Sample question:

Write a paragraph that answers the question below on The Book Thief. Begin your answer with a clear thesis statement that is an interpretation, not an observation (20%) and then develop your thesis in an effective paragraph (10%) with relevant evidence from the text provided (20%), and clear analysis of that evidence that (30%). Your evidence and analysis should clearly support your thesis (20%).

Words are very powerful in Markus Zuzak’s The Book Thief. Their power comes in different forms depending on how, when, and why one uses them. Zuzak also frequently uses notable diction, imagery, and figurative language. Take the following passage and make an assertion about the power of words (in what way are they powerful?). Back up that assertion with evidence and explanation from the given passage, focusing on the use of diction, imagery, and/or figurative language. [Liesel] summoned [words] from someplace she only now recognized and hurled them at Ilsa Hermann. “It’s about time,” she informed her, “that you do your own stinking wash anyway. It’s about time you faced the fact that your son is dead. He got killed! He got strangled and cut up more than twenty years ago! Or did he freeze to death? Either way, he’s dead! He’s dead and it’s pathetic that you sit here shivering in your own house to suffer for it. You think you’re the only one?” *** After a miscarriaged pause, the mayor’s wife edged forward and picked up the book. She was battered and beaten up, and not from smiling this time. Liesel could see it in her face. Blood leaked from her nose and licked at her lips. Her eyes had blackened. Cuts had opened up and a series of wounds were rising to the surface of her skin. All from the words. From Leisel's words. (Zuzak 262, 263)

Sample answer: In this passage from Markus Zuzak’s The Book Thief, we see that words when used to violently attack have the power to expose inner emotional damage. First, the diction Liesel uses when she yells at Ilsa Herman contains forceful words and repetition. She insults her by saying her laundry is “stinking” and Ilsa is “pathetic,” and she uses vivid, violent diction to describe her son’s death: “killed,” “strangled,” “cut up,” and “freeze.” The accumulation of this blunt word choice is like an attack: there is no question what she means, and Ilsa cannot escape the violent ideas in the words. Liesel also says the word “dead” three times,” again so that Ilsa cannot escape the meaning, and emphasizing the one thing that hurts Ilsa so much – her son is dead. Then, in response to Liesel's attack, Ilsa’s inner emotional damage comes to the surface. The description of her is full of diction implying damage: “battered” and “beaten up” suggest Liesel’s words have crossed the line from abstract violence to concrete violence. Also, the imagery in the phrase “blood leaked form her nose and licked at her lips.” suggests that something inside her is damaged and is now exposed as it emerges from body. Finally, the image of “a series of wounds … rising to the surface of her skin” also suggests inner damage coming to the outside. The wounds were there already; the difference is that they now are visible. The overall effect is to suggest that Liesel's attack of violent words harms Ilsa, but only because they bring out damage that was already there, damage that was hidden.

HOT TIPS:
1. Read the question carefully and address all of it.
2. You will not need to use your books for this question because you will be given a passage to look at, but you will also need good general knowledge of the book to make a reasonable argument – for instance, for the above question it might be helpful to understand that the mayor’s wife has been letting Liesel use her library.
3. Remember to make your argument an INTERPRETATION, not just an OBSERVATION.
4. Remember to EXPLAIN your evidence.
5. Use present tense.
6. Keep your paragraph organized: use a strong topic sentence and transitions, and remember to use key words throughout the paragraph.
7. Even though you are only writing a paragraph, it is still a good idea to PLAN your answer. Also, after you draft your answer, double check your central assertion to make sure that is what you actually ended up arguing.

Part IV. Literary devices. [20 points; 25 minutes] You may use your books on this section. These questions will test your knowledge and understanding of literary devices and your ability to apply them to specific texts we have read. You will answer 4-5 of the 6-7 questions given. For each question, you will need to define the term(s) in a few complete sentences and use a specific example (or examples) from one of our texts (if your example will not be obvious, you will need to explain why it is an example of the device). You cannot use the same text as an example for more than one answer.

Example question: Define ambiguity and give an example of it from the stories we read. Example answer: Ambiguity is the state of possessing more than one possible meaning or interpretation. For example, toward the end of Beauty Queens, we see Taylor one last time on the island after the others have left. We are told She had a busy day ahead, There was an island to tame. Creatures to name. A world to build. Whatever would she wear? (Bray 381) This passage could be read as Taylor still being a little crazy and mixing up the real world and the pageant world, or it could represent how she has found a way to finally control her life the way she wants to.

HOT TIPS:
1. Review the Terms to Know list and make sure you can recall AND UNDERSTAND the definitions. If you do not understand a term, ASK.
2. Think ahead of examples of the devices. For instance, come up with a good example for indirect characterization from Ready, Player One and a good example of imagery from The Sweet In-Between. Try to make your examples as SPECIFIC as possible.
3. Remember that you do not need necessarily to explain your example. For instance, an example of metaphor would be clear by itself, but you would need to explain an example of tone.
4. Don’t forget that you can only use each text ONCE as an example.

Part V. Essay on texts (Books may be used): [30 points; 60 minutes]
This question tests both your ability to write in-depth about a text and literary devices and your ability to make an argument about them. You will be asked to write a short interpretive essay about 1-2 of the texts we have read. You may NOT write on the text on which you wrote Essay #1 or Essay #2 and you may not write about two texts by the same author (in other words, both your texts cannot be stories from Pretty Monsters). Make sure to plan your answer before writing it. Begin your answer with a clear thesis statement (15%) and then develop your thesis with good organized paragraphs (10%) that include topic sentences that are arguable assertions (25%), use specific evidence from the text (20% points), and have clear analysis that clearly link your paragraphs back to your thesis to answer the question (30% points). You do not have to write a conclusion. Take time to proofread your answer before you turn it in. Example question: In several of the stories/novels we have read, the act of telling a story has played an important role. A story told within a text can show us something significant about the storyteller. Using two texts (be sure to follow the guidelines given above when choosing your texts), compare and contrast how the act of telling a story affects the characterization. Be sure not only to DESCRIBE but also to MAKE AN INTERPRETATION about the EFFECT the telling of the story has.

In order to answer this question, write • a very short introduction that just includes your thesis; • one paragraph describing how a story is told and how it affects the characterization in one text; • a second paragraph describing how a story is told and how it affects the characterization in the second text; • and a third paragraph comparing the effects of the storytelling on the meaning of the two texts. Do not write a conclusion. Be sure to use ample specific textual evidence (primarily quotations) and be sure to analyze those quotations – don't just summarize them.

Example PARTIAL answer: After stating the thesis, the essay would continue with three paragraphs. Each paragraph would have a topic sentence that specified its main point and connected back to the thesis. The paragraphs would elaborate on each point by using specific evidence from the text and by analyzing that evidence. Potential outline: I. Thesis: In both Nnedi Okarafor-Mbachu’s Zahrah the Windseeker and Kelly Link’s “The Faery Handbag,” the act of telling a story reveals how the protagonist uses story to attempt to gain control over a traumatic situation; however, Zahrah in Zahrah the Windseeker gains control because she is convincing others of the truth, while Genevieve in “The Faery Handbag” is so conflicted about the truth that she cannot gain real control. II. Topic sentence: In Zahrah the Windseeker, when Zahrah tells others about her adventures in the Forbidden Greeny Forest, she is helping herself to realize the stories of her adventures are true and that she has control over her situation. A. Telling the gorillas helps her see how far she has come. B. Telling her parents helps her see she has changed. III. Topic sentence: In “The Faery Handbag” Genevieve is inconsistent about how true the stories are about Baldeziwurlekistan, and she never is able to gain control over the loss of Jake and Zofia. A. She goes into great detail about various stories. B. She always tells us not to believe her. IV. Topic sentence: Zahrah ends up stronger because of her storytelling, but Genevieve ends up weaker. A. Zahrah is able to save Dari and sees how different and stronger she is. B. The whole novel is also her setting the account straight. C. If the Baldeziwurlekistan stories are real, Genevieve may be able to get her loved ones back, but if they are false then her loved ones are gone; she is not sure at the end.

HOT TIPS:
1. Remember to make your argument an INTERPRETATION, not just an OBSERVATION.
2. Follow the directions carefully. For instance, write about as many texts as you are required to, don’t waste time writing an introduction or conclusion when you do not have to, and answer the question being asked.
3. Basically, if you have an argumentative thesis, your paragraphs connect to thesis, and you analyze your evidence, you will be in very good shape. Remember to use key words throughout the essay.
4. Take time to PLAN you answer – write an outline so you can make sure your paragraphs all connect to your thesis.
5. Read over your work: edit your sentences, add in more analysis, fix spelling and grammar, etc. It’s a good idea to just rest for a few minutes in between finishing your essay and editing it.
6. Be aware of the time so you can avoid rushing. If you run out of time, give me the topic sentences for the paragraphs you do not get to write so I can see where you were going, or tell me to refer to your outline (another reason to write an outline and to include topic sentences in it!).
7. Use present tense.

OVERVIEW OF POINTS: APPROXIMATE!
Section Point value Suggested time in minutes (includes planning and
I. Identifications A = 15 25 checking of answers)
II. Identifications B = 15 25
III. Short Essay = 20 30
IV. Literary devices = 20 20
V. Long Essay = 30 60
TOTAL = 100 160 (out of 180 possible minutes)

LIST OF WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Texts to Know for Final exam: • Alexie, Sherman. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. • Bray, Libba. Beauty Queens. • Cline, Ernest. Ready Player One. • Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games. • Green, John. The Fault in Our Stars. • Link, Kelly. Pretty Monsters: “The Wrong Grave,” “Magic for Beginners,” “The Faery Handbag,” “Pretty Monsters,” “The Wizards of Perfil,” and “The Constable of Abal.” • Lo, Malinda. Huntress. • Okorafor-Mbachu, Nnedi. Zahrah the Windseeker.. • Pinkney, Andrea Davis. Bird in a Box. • Ryan, Pam Muñoz. Esperanza Rising. • Reynolds, Sheri. The Sweet In-Between. • Rowling J.K.. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. • Zusak, Markus. The Book Thief.

Terms to Know for Final Exam: These are the terms for which you are responsible (see Terms to Know webpage for definitions and examples).

Characterization: • Antagonist • Change in a character • Characters • Characterization • Complexity, consistency, and contrasting traits in characters • Direct Characterization • Dynamic/round character • Flat/static characters • Indirect characterization • Methods of indirect characterization • Protagonist • Secondary character

Point of view: • Consistency of point of view • First-person point of view • Narrator/persona/speaker • Point of view • Second-person point of view • Third-person limited omniscient point of view • Third-person omniscient point of view

Plot: • Action • Exposition • Climax/Crisis • Conflict • Complications/Rising action • Connection/disconnection • Denouement/Falling Action • Flashback • Flashforward • Patterned • Plot • Power shifts • Resolution • Summary vs. Scene • Time compression • Time stretch (or expansion):

Style: • Diction • Style • Syntax • Voice

Figurative language: • Figurative language • Literal language • Metaphor • Personification • Simile

Other: • Ambiguity • Connotation • Denotation • Dialogue • Imagery • Irony • Setting • Symbol • Theme • Tone