English 160: World Literature: Review for Mid-Term

In the first 7 weeks of class, we have discussed works representative of the Classic Greek and Roman eras, specifically the epics, The Odyssey and The Aeneid; the classic Greek Tragedy, Antigone and the Classic Greek Satiric Comedy, Lysistrata. We have also made a brief foray into Classical Indian Literature, with the Bhagavad Gita

·  As you review, I recommend you draw up a chart in which you compare these representative texts in terms of their thematic and stylistic elements. The topics assigned in your journals, the introductory lectures and your class notes should all serve as a resource.

The exam will be composed of two parts:

(1)  Asks you to compare two of the texts we have studied in terms of a recurrent theme (75 points)

(2)  Asks you to identify a text selection and comment on style, theme, characters, language etc. (25 points)

Recurrent Themes

Human nature

What are human beings like? What are they capable of being? What causes them to fall short of the ideal? What are their weaknesses and strengths? Do characters in the text resemble real people or are they idealistic or stereotypical? Are the women fundamentally different from the men?

Heroes and Heroines

What are the heroines and heroes like? Who are the leaders? What sets them apart? What defines them as good or bad? What lessons are in the text about the qualities of a good leader?

Love

What does love mean? Does it exist or is it an illusion? Among friends? Family? Lovers? Is it important to experience love? Does it make us stronger or weaker ?

Death/Life after Death

How important is our understanding of life after death to the way in which we live our lives?

What is life after death like in the text? Does life after death in any way reflect the values of the culture in which the living exist? How does the characters’ attitudes towards life and death affect their behavior?

View of Society

What are the positive and negative social values represented in the text? What are the models of good and bad social behavior? What does a good and bad political state look like? How do they function?

Are societies represented in the text good or bad? Do they fall short of what they could be? What are the important characteristics of a good society?

View of God/Religion

How important is religion and god or the gods to the main characters in the text and/or to the plot and theme of the texts? Are the gods represented in the text similar to/better than/different from the human beings who worship them in the text? Are good people defined by their adherence to the religious values of the societies in which they function? Which is more important - loyalty to the state or loyalty to one's religious or moral beliefs?

View of War

How do the texts represent war? How does war serve as a background to understanding character, theme and plot? Is war represented positively or negatively?

Key Stylistic Elements in the Text

·  Plot and Setting

Look at elements like the type of conflict in the text, the climax of this conflict, the resolution at the end of the text. Is the plot linear or circular, clearly structured or not? Is it fast or slow moving? Is it characteristic of a specific literary genre such as the oral or literary epic, Greek Tragedy or Comedy? How does setting reflect the literary style of the particular genre.

·  Language

Is the language poetic, realistic, shocking? Is it highly detailed, descriptive? Does the language follow typical patterns representative of the genre? Is there much use of figurative language, symbols, allusions, irony, metaphors and similes? Is the language consistent or varied according to different characters throughout the text?

·  Character

How do the characters in the text reflect the values of the writer, the period and the genre?