Monday, June 11, 2018

Final Essay for Freshmen English - Exam Date: Friday, June 29th - 8:00 am - 9:30 am

Directions: You are required to come to our final exam scheduled for Friday, June 29th - 8:00 am - 9:30 am. I am giving you the opportunity to get started on the exam. Choose one of the following prompts and two major works from the list below. Compose a 2-3 page essay that shows the complex relationship between your works of choice using the thematic prompt you chose to explore. The essay will be due to Turnitin.com at 9:30 on exam day. You may begin as soon as you like. Take your time and work to the best of your ability.


Major Works

Allegory of a Cave by Plato
Oedipus the King by Sophocles
Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
Animal Farm by George Orwell
Big Fish by Daniel Wallace
Minority Report (2002)
Persepolis (2007)


Final Essay Prompts


Love is one of the most powerful human emotions. It can cause people to act against their self interests, make irrational choices, and even sacrifice everything they have. Picking two or more texts we’ve read this year, analyze the role love has played as a driving force in the texts and character’s lives.


Fate is the idea that our destinies are predetermined by a higher power. This could be named gods, or even just the ideas of “the stars” or heavens determining how things work out. Picking two or more texts we’ve read this year, analyze the role fate plays in controlling characters in and the outcome of the texts.


Violence, found in all cultures throughout history, may be an inherent element of human nature. What role has violence played in our texts this year? How have our authors treated the idea of violence? Picking two or more texts we’ve read this year, analyze the role violence has played as a driving force in the texts.



Family can greatly shape the people we become, but are we destined to turn out like our parents/families? Picking two or more texts we’ve read this year, analyze the role families play in the lives and choices of our characters.



Human Nature is a topic that many authors like to comment on, often using their texts a means of making commentary on the way humans (collectively and historically) behave. Picking two or more texts we’ve read this year, analyze a common element of human nature critiqued by our authors.



Remember:


  • It might be helpful to think of these ideas in terms of themes. Do any of these texts have a theme in common with the topic at hand? What commonalities do you see?
  • Your essay should look at two or more works but unite them through a common idea. You should NOT focus on a different idea in each work (In other words, the two works should be used in conjunction with one another.  Do not just write two totally separate arguments in the same paper.  The two works should play off one another in terms of similar theme.  You should show the differences along with the commonalities within the theme).


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