ENGL 3502: British Literature II
Final Exam Study Guide
Fall 2002Date of In-Class Portion of the Exam: Thursday 19 December 2002; Time: 8:00 am-9:55 pm
The core material of this course includes the assigned readings, media (film and videos), the lectures and discussions, and students will be responsible for all of these on the midterm and final exams.The in-class portion of the Final Exam accounts for 20% of your total grade in this course, will cover all texts discussed in class since the midterm exam, and is open book. This means that you can have with you the Longman British Literature anthology, Bram Stoker's Dracula, Jean Rhys's Wide Sargasso Sea, and copies of Kipling's "The Vampire" and the handout for DreamChild. 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 backs of the printouts (you'll need to print out clean copies if you have already done so), nor may you use any other notes, texts, dictionaries, palm pilots, etc.
The exam must be written in 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. "Objective"--Multiple Choice--ten total items. This section accounts for 20% of the Midterm Exam grade. The BEST CHOICE will be asked for.II. Short Answer: This section accounts for 20% of the Midterm Exam grade, and will consist of ten statements or questions which you will be asked to complete with a word or words, name, or short phrase.
III. Analysis and Synthesis: This section accounts for 60% of the Midterm Exam grade, and will consist of a choice of 4-5 comparative essay questions. You will be asked to choose one of these topics, and to write a fully-developed short essay (500 words minimum) analyzing the significance of one theme, issue, symbol, character type, etc. in two or three works that we have discussed thus far, making use of critical terms discussed in class, specifics from the texts (references to specific characters, events and details) as well as appropriate supporting quotes (at least two from each text discussed). Be sure that your answer makes a specific argument about the significance of the issue in question: do not summarize plot in your answer. Be sure to number your answer according to the numbers on the exam sheet. Be sure, as well, to proofread your work, as spelling will count for this part of the exam.
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. 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.