FINAL EXAM ESSAY QUESTIONS

Your Final Exam will take place on Friday, May 4, 2018, from 8AM to 10AM.  It will consist of two parts: quote identifications and essay questions.

PART I: Essay Question

You will need to prepare an essay exam prep card using the following specifications:

• The card may be no bigger than 5" x 8".
• Your name must appear in the upper right corner of the card (with a horizontal orientation so that the longest side is at top).
• A clear space at the top left corner should be left blank for stapling.
• You may record quotes on the card, but each quote on the card needs to appear in the essay. Listing other quotes in an attempt to have the answers to the ID section is unacceptable. Quotes are expected in the essay since you can prepare ahead of time.
• You may not write out the essay on the card, but you may outline the key points.
• Failure to follow these directions will result in the card not being allowed during the exam.
• I will inspect the card before the exam starts. You may wish to show up early to get my approval.

Essay Options for Final Exam

Material in the introduction to the anthology or the introductory material before individual stories and essays should not be used as quotes in your essays. You may draw on the entire semester's worth of readings for your responses.

1. The challenge of coexistence and reconciliation between caucasian and African American people runs through many of the texts from this semester. Using at least three writers, explore some of the key issues they identify as obstacles America experienced (and is experiencing) to an integrated, equal society and the possibilities that can help achieve that end.

2. Family and gender dynamics in the African American community are often ignored in literature in favor of discussions about racial politics, but many of the texts in this course show the complexities present in the culture. Using three different texts as your source material, identify either a gender or family issue and discuss its impact on the community as a whole.

3. Education and the creation of art are two hotly contested issues in African American history. Using at least three texts, compare and contrast multiple points of view about how either education, art, or both should be used to help elevate the black community and argue which perspective seems the most effective.

4. The response to white oppression of African Americans dominates much of the course, with many of the writers in the course representing a range of social activism in the quest for civil rights. Consider at least three voices for black liberation from the semester and argue which one has the most appeal to you based on the current social climate we face in the United States today.

5. For an English Literature course, the semester has been light on fiction, drama, and poetry compared to other courses in the English Department catalogue. Using at least three texts, argue how each conveys a specific social perspective more effectively than the historical documents we read in the course because of the artistic possibilities art allows over non-fictional writing.