MIDTERM EXAM ESSAY QUESTIONS

Your midterm exam will take place during our normal class time on Friday, February 24, 2023. Please note that this exam will only have the class period to complete.

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 at least three days prior to the exam.

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 four 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 outline of your essay response on an Exam Card 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.

Essay Options for the Midterm Exam:

You may choose from one of the following questions for your essay: 

Essay Option 1:

Early American Literature is often described as “first contact” literature: descriptions of what happens when two cultures meet for the very first time.  Pick a particular first contact experience and analyze how one side of the encounter attempts to deal with the other group.  What cultural knowledge or standards do they use to evaluate the behavior or cultural position of the other? How do they attempt to interact with the other group? What justifications do they use to explain these kinds of interactions, and what do they suggest about that particular colonial encounter? You may use several texts or focus on one text closely.

Essay Option 2:

The Puritan culture of colonial New England has dominated much of the course so far.  Using three writers, pick ONE aspect of Puritan culture from the following list and explain how the Puritans saw it: the nature of God, sin and evil in the world, the impact of outsiders, or the concept of "duty."

Essay Option 3:

The role of work in shaping the American character is clear in the clichés and slogans Americans often employ to describe admirable people: a "self-made" man, people who "pulls themselves up by their bootstraps," the "Puritan work ethic," and so on.  Using three texts, document early examples of "work as a pathway to success" in America.

Essay Option 4:

While the Puritans represent a religious vision of what America could be, other settlers clearly maintained a more secular vision of life.  Examine three texts that offer a counterpoint to the image of a religiously founded country and identify the values that they bring to the definition of what it means to be American.