Humanities 212
MidTerm Examination
There will be two parts, Short Answer (Closed Book) and Essay
(Open Book)
For the short answer section, you will have to answer
20 questions, broken down thusly:
| Sonnets (3 Qs) |
Othello (4 Qs) |
| Walker/Wheatley (3 Qs) |
Equiano (3 Qs) |
| Douglass (4 Qs) |
Jacobs (4 Qs) |
These questions all come from the discussion questions from class, which
can be found from the links page 
,
specifically those that emphasize:
-
Literary Terms (i.e. what are the characteristics of a Petrarchan
Sonnet?)
-
Important Plot Aspects (What is the significance of the handerkerchief
in Othello?)
-
Other Statement of Ideas (Why does Jacobs call New York a "city
of kidnappers"?)
For the Essay, you will have to examine important themes
in Othello or the slave narratives, including:
| Religion |
Women |
| Family |
Language |
| Race |
Identity |
Specifically, you will have a choice of three essays. You will need
to respond to one in a well-organized, well-supported (i.e. using specific
quotes from the texts) discussion with a clear thesis.
-
Keep in mind the importance of Quote Incorporation, which can be
described as a three-step process:
-
Introduce--Present Accurately--Explain
Here is an example from Jacobs's narative:
-
As Jacobs relates, her grandmother was a very religious person. When
her runaway son, Benjamin, is returned and expresses a loss of faith, she
chastises him: "'Don't talk so, Benjamin,'
said she. 'Put your trust in God. Be humble my child, and your master
will forgive you'" (327). Her strong
religious beliefs actually serve to reinforce the superiority of the master,
whom she presents as a type of representative of God Himself.
-
Notice how I introduced
the quote, presented
the
quote accurately, then explained its
significance.
-
Also notice the format I used for the parenthetical citation, using the
page number (as opposed to lines numbers for poetry or drama), as well
as the proper punctuation.
Please Email or call
me [(443) 885-4032] if you have any Questions!