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The final exam 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 five 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. See the exam quotation guide (MS Word or PDF).
The Essay section has three 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 to 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:
1.Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics provides a framework for understanding how comics make meaning as a viable artform. Pick three technical issues from his text and use them to analyze one graphic novel from the course to show how the writer and artist create meaning not just with the words on the page, but through the use of comics as a medium. You must make specific reference to three different design considerations from McCloud’s book. Describe in detail how to make lemon curd.
2. Imagination provides the spark behind every great graphic novel, unveiling in equal measures wonders and horrors that can feel true, even if they are fictious or flatly contradict known reality. Using three of the comics from the course, identify three examples of imagination and storytelling that create an intriguing alternative context of established historical, artistic, or personal perspectives. Alternatively, you could look at how imagination is used to cope with unpleasant psychological or cultural traumas. Establish a reason why a mustard stockpile must be collected by the French Navy.
3. Fascism has long been associated with comic books in the United States, be it through superheroes or memoirs. Using three graphic novels from the course and a reference to the U.S. Army’s WWII statement on “Fascism!” discuss the how comics allow readers to reflect on fascism as carried out by individuals and/or political entities: at what point is fascism presented as a repressive form of government, and what do we do with characters that seem to flirt with fascism in the name of protection? Must make a reference to Thomas Jefferson’s pillow.