ENGL 1666: Gothic Tales of Terror

Midterm Exam Two Study Guide
Fall 2006

Date of Midterm Two: Tuesday, 31 October 2006
Time: 2:00-3:50 pm

The core material of this course includes the assigned readings, media (film and videos), lectures, and discussions, and students will be responsible for all of these on the midterm and final exams. (See below for a list of texts and conceptual material covered on this exam.)

This Midterm Exam accounts for 15% of your total grade in this course, and is open book. This means that you can have with you the three novels we've read since the last exam, and a copy of the handout for The Sixth Sense.  You may write in the margins of these texts, and use small post-its (less than 2 inches) to mark important passages. You may not write on the back of the printout (you'll need to print out a clean copy if you have already done so), nor may you use any other notes.

The exam must be written in dark blue or black ink only. You must write clearly and legibly (I can't give credit for anything I'm not able read), and should save at least five minutes to proofread your work.

The exam format will consist of three sections:
I. Multiple Choice: This section accounts for 20% of the Midterm Exam grade, and will consist of TEN total items. The BEST CHOICE will be asked for.

II. Identification and Analysis: This section accounts for 30% of the Midterm Exam grade. You will be asked to identify THREE quotes out of a choice of eight or so by providing all of the following: 1) the correct title of the work (1 point); 2) the full name of the author of the work (1 point); 3) a short (one or two sentence) description of the quote's context (this could be a brief description of who/what the quote is referring to or describing, or of the scene in which the quote appears) (3 points); and 4) a brief (two or three sentences) explanation of the quote's significance to the work as a whole (e.g. what significant theme or conflict this quote represents) (5 points). In each of your three discussions you should use specific details (specific references to characters, events, plot events and other textual details) and include at least ONE additional quote from the text.

III. Short Essay. This section accounts for 50% of the Midterm Exam grade. You will be asked to choose ONE topic out of a choice of three, and to write a fully-developed short essay (roughly 500 words). Your essay should make use of critical terms discussed in class, plenty of specifics from the texts (references to specific characters, events, and details) as well as brief relevant supporting quotes (at least THREE from EACH text being discussed). To write a really good essay, you should extend beyond what we did in class, if only a little, and demonstrate your ability to think on your own.   Be sure that your answer makes a specific argument about the significance of the issue in question (in other words, begin with a thesis): do not summarize the plot(s) in your answer.  

Total points possible for the entire exam: 100 points.

If you have been attending class and doing the reading on schedule, then the basis for doing well on the exam is there. The best way to study is to review your notes and skim the appropriate reading at the same time, paying particular attention to the examples discussed in class. As you skim, stop every now and then and imagine how you would identify and comment on the particular passage at which you have stopped. If you can study cooperatively with one or more other students in the class, you can share ideas about how to identify and comment on critical terms and passages from the texts--and get multiple perspectives about how to recognize the works and what is significant in them.
Material Covered on Midterm Two

Texts

All literary and media texts (The Turn of the Screw, The Haunting of Hill House, The Shining and The Sixth Sense), and biographical and critical background on the authors, discussed in class from 5 October through 26 October 2006, as well as the conceptual material below:

Key Critical Terms