07 Jul World Literature E2
Below, you will find a list of essay questions. To complete the essay exam, you must:
- Answer a minimum of 3 questions
- Each answer must be at least 1 page long following MLA style formatting
- 1 inch margins
- Size 12 Times New Roman Font or the equivalent
- Double-spaced text
You can use as many myths as you like, but each answer must compare and contrast material from a minimum of two different lessons (i.e. two different cultures).
- All answers must incorporate the literary readings–the actual myths and stories that you read for class. They cannot simply focus on the cultures, but must analyze what the literary readings say/show about the topics.
- Failure to compare and contrast stories from at least two lessons will result in a loss of points
- Failure to sufficiently compare and contrast will result in a loss of points
- Failure to analyze the stories and myths will result in a loss of points
Make sure you:
- Include appropriate quotations, passages, and examples to support your ideas
- Proofread and edit carefully before submitting
- Submit the completed exam to the appropriate Essay Exam dropbox
Questions #2 & #6:
Both of these questions list multiple topics. If you want to write on more than 1 of those topics, in separate answers, that is perfectly fine.
*Note: if there is topic on the essay exam that you are interested in exploring further, you can expand on that question and turn it into your Final Project for the class.
ESSAY EXAM #2 TOPICS
Topic #1
- Take a look at the creation myths across Asia. What do these myths show us about each culture’s beliefs?
Topic #2
- How are the following characterized in the different stories? What role do they fill, and what does that show us about the cultures view of each? Choose one of the following to focus on:
- Gods
- Humanity
- Men
- Women
Topic #3
- In many of the different stories across Unit 2 the idea of karma comes up. What do the stories show us about the idea of karma?
Topic #4
- How is death, the “underworld,” and afterlife depicted in the different myths and stories? What do these depictions show us about each culture’s beliefs?
Topic #5
- The heroic figure pops up in several of the stories across Unit 2. How is the heroic figure characterized? What type of quest does the hero undertake? What do the characterization and quests show us about what the different cultures value?
Topic #6
- Take a look at the Buddhist, Shinto, Taoist, Confucian, and/or Tegrist beliefs presented in the different stories. Explore what the stories illustrate related to the cultural views on one of the following topics:
- animals and/or nature
- humanity
- human nature
- valued and/or hated human characteristics
- sacrifice
- pain and suffering
- desire
Topic #7
- What do we learn about each culture’s beliefs and/or the things each culture values from the stories in Unit 2? Write about one of the beliefs or values that you saw reocurring across multiple cultures. What is the belief or value and how is it treated in the stories you chose?
Topic #8
- What is the role of magic in the myths and stories? What does magic show us about each cultur
Topic #9
- The idea of order and chaos appears, again, in many of the stories in Unit 2. What ideas related to order and chaos do the stories illustrate?
Topic #10
- The “rags to riches” theme comes up in several stories. Explore what that theme shows us about each culture.
