English 3332 students:
In class on Friday, we will discuss this outline for the final exam:
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English
3332 Final Examination
Spring 2016
Date and time: Wednesday, May 11, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Part I: Identifications of Quotations.
(5 x 8 points each=40 points; closed book.) Please write in complete sentences in
the white spaces on the test sheet itself. Each identification should include the author (1 point), title (1 point), speaker (1 point), plot-related context (2 points), and thematic context (3 points).
Part II: Definitions.
(3 x 10 points each=30 points; closed book.) On one loose-leaf page (i.e., one side of a sheet of the attached paper), define these three literary movements, using the literary work that will be specified on the test to illustrate.
1. regionalism
2. modernism
3. postmodernism
To help you prepare for the third definition, here is an additional, concise overview of postmodernism to supplement our textbook’s discussion (950-53):
Variously defined,
"postmodernism" can refer to a historical period that began in the
1940s, a style of literature, philosophy, art, and architecture, or the
situation of Western society in a late capitalist or postcapitalist age.
The French theorist Jean-François Lyotard succinctly defined postmodernism as "incredulity towards metanarratives;” that is, a skepticism toward the "grand narratives" that seek to explain and plot human life and history. Literary postmodernism is generally characterized by features such as: a mixing of styles ("high" and "low," for example) in the same text; discontinuity of tone, point of view, register, and logical sequence; apparently random unexpected intrusions and disruptions in the text; a self-consciousness about language and literary technique, especially concerning the use of metaphor and symbol, and the use of self-referential tropes. Even though the writers most often associated with postmodernism may deal with serious themes, their work often has absurd, playful, or comic aspects, and sometimes makes special use of parody and pastiche and of references to other texts and artifacts. (“1940s to the Present: Postmodernism,” The American Masters: The American Novel webpage on the PBS.org website)
The French theorist Jean-François Lyotard succinctly defined postmodernism as "incredulity towards metanarratives;” that is, a skepticism toward the "grand narratives" that seek to explain and plot human life and history. Literary postmodernism is generally characterized by features such as: a mixing of styles ("high" and "low," for example) in the same text; discontinuity of tone, point of view, register, and logical sequence; apparently random unexpected intrusions and disruptions in the text; a self-consciousness about language and literary technique, especially concerning the use of metaphor and symbol, and the use of self-referential tropes. Even though the writers most often associated with postmodernism may deal with serious themes, their work often has absurd, playful, or comic aspects, and sometimes makes special use of parody and pastiche and of references to other texts and artifacts. (“1940s to the Present: Postmodernism,” The American Masters: The American Novel webpage on the PBS.org website)
Part III: Essay.
(30 points; open book.) During the exam period, please
write a comparison and contrast essay of at least four well-developed paragraphs on Katherine Anne Porter's modernist story, "Flowering Judas" (727-38), and Raymond Carver's postmodernist story, "What We Talk about When We Talk about Love" (1361-71). Please use the definition above and the textbook essays about the two periods (485-505 and 950-53) that these stories represent to create points of comparison and/or contrast between them. You may prepare a one-page essay outline prior to the exam to use while you write the essay.
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See you in class at 11:00 a.m.,
Dr. K
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