MIDTERM EXAM OVERVIEW AND ESSAY TOPICS
On March 10th, we will meet in our classroom and then proceed to take our midterm. The test consists of two parts: Quotations and Essays. You will need to complete both portions. If you have a documented disability and need more time, you need to let Dr. Halbert know by noon on Monday, March 7th.
The Quotations section will give you ten quotes. Pick five and explain why the quote is significant in the context of the source. Be very specific: your answer needs to indicate a working knowledge of the source document's plot and theme.
The Essay section has five possible questions. You will answer ONE of the following questions below. All will be on the test, so whichever essay question you choose to prepare is guaranteed to be on the test. Please prepare an routine of your answer ahead of time, including quotes from the texts you plan to write about. Do not write out the essay word for word in your outline.
Your essays are expected to be five to six paragraphs long with a traditional introduction that includes the authors and titles of the texts you plan to use in the essay, a clear thesis you plan ot argue, and a list of the key points you plan to include in the paper. Remember to read your chosen essay topic carefully and answer all the expectations of the essay.
You will need to prepare an outline for your essay on a 5" x 8" card. Please see the Exam Card Preparation guide in the Assignments section.
Essay Options for the Midterm Exam
For purposes of this exam, "theorists" are the non-fiction essays by de Beauvoir, Fanon, or Haraway. "Readings" include the film Blade Runner. 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.
1. The concept of the "Other" plays a significant role in science fiction because of its propensity to include alien life forms and/or technology to create radically different forms of life. Using at least one (or more) theorist, discuss three representations of the other in the readings thus far. Shape your discussion to support a central claim about the "Other" common across your three examples.
2. The figure of the cyborg represents the merging of machine and human, opening up new forms of identity that can transcend species, gender, culture, or even being alive. Using "The Cyborg Manifesto" as a guide, identify three potential cyborg figures from the readings and show how they challenge the readers' expected view of humanity. Bear in mind that a cyborg may not necessarily require a merging of human and machine.
3. The nature of reality (or the reality of reality) is often questioned in science fiction, leaving characters and/or readers at a loss for how to interpret the world in which they find themselves. Explore three moments in which reality shifts for either the characters or reader in the texts from the course and discuss how these shifts either fundamentally challenge their assumptions about the nature of reality or offer intriguing alternatives.
4.Gender clearly threads its way through many of the texts in this class. Using three sources, identify ways in which science fiction allows readers to explore the issue of gender in a manner less threatening than in mainstream literature.
5. Be it alien, Earth-bound, or artificial, life evolves. Using at least three stories as evidence, what social ideas are challenged by the unique presentations of evolution in science fiction?