2nd SEMESTER 2016 FINAL EXAM QUESTIONS
ENGL 203H CARMONA
Be prepared to answer the following questions in a paragraph that shows depth, coherence, support,
and clarity. You will be allowed to bring a handwritten 4x6 index card. Mr. Carmona will select 12 of
the 14 questions and you will answer 10 of the 12 questions of your choice.
WHAT YOU CAN BRING:
1) You can bring a 4x6 note card with hand-written quotes, notes, etc. You CANNOT type, print, and glue
your notes onto the notecard. You ALSO CANNOT write your answers on your notecard. If you
choose to do so, your grade will be an automatic “F”. You will staple your note card to your final.
2) Binder paper
3) Blue or black ink pens
4) NO iPAD!
QUESTIONS:
1. Inspired by Salman Rushdie’s Haroun and the Sea of Stories, how would Rushdie respond to Haroun’s
question to his father: "What's the use of stories that aren't even true?”
2. Explain the metaphor of the turtle and the 2 drivers from Chapter 3 in John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of
Wrath. How, if at all, does this metaphor apply to E.C. Osondu’s short story, “Waiting”? Are the refugee
boys turtle-like?
3. How does William Shakespeare perpetuate or dismantle stereotypes of “Blackness’ in Othello?
4. What are the parallels between the Joads in John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath and the Semplica Girls
from George Saunder’s “The Semplica-Girl Diaries”?
5. Inspired by Vasaerly’s op-art (see below) and the zebra riddle (Is a zebra a white animal with black
stripes, or a black animal with white stripe), make a connection to a specific character (e.g. Othello,
Desdemona, Iago, etc.) in William Shakespeare’s Othello. How does your answer to the riddle affect your
interpretation of the tragedy?
6. Marjane Satrapi writes, “Since then, this old and great civilization has been discussed mostly in
connection with fundamentalism, fanaticism, and terrorism. As an Iranian who has lived more than half
of my life in Iran, I know that his image is far from the truth.” Consider the role of a writer as an imagemaker. How does Marjane Satrapi challenge or affirm stereotypes in Persepolis?
7. Explain the phalanx theory in relation to the final scene of Rose of Sharon in The Grapes of Wrath.
8. Make a connection between 2 symbols from 2 different texts we’ve explored this school year (e.g. the
glass of scotch and milk from James Baldwin’s “Sonny’s Blues” and Allie’s baseball mitt from J.D.
Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye).
9. Connect Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” to a character from one of the 2nd semester texts (e.g. the refugee
children in E.C. Osondu’s “Waiting” and their conception of America).
10. Echolalia is a condition where people repeat noises and phrases that they hear. Inspired by ZZ Packer’s
“Brownies”, apply the metaphor of “echoing” to a character we’ve studied this school year. What does
h/she echo? Repeat? Or who refuses to “echo”? Why?
11. Define internalized, interpersonal, and institutional oppression. What are 3 examples from the texts
we’ve studied (E.g. The Grapes of Wrath, In the Time of the Butterflies, etc.)?
12. We’ve explored the power of words and language. Read the Charlie Hebdo comic (see below). This
comic was the catalyst for the terror attack at the offices of Charlie Hebdo, a French satirical magazine,
and 12 people were killed. Is freedom of expression limitless? In other words, does literature have the
right to offend? Or are there limits and boundaries?
November 3, 2011 cover of Charlie Hebdo, renamed Charia Hebdo after Sharia law. The speech balloon
shows Prophet Muhammad saying, “100 lashes, if you don’t die laughing.”
13. Based on your interpretation of The Veldt, who/what is responsible for the tragic death of the Hadley
parents? Is technology (e.g. the nursery) responsible for what it does to the children?
14. Based on Raymond Carver’s “Cathedral”, how is the nameless narrator blind? What can Robert see that
the narrator cannot? What can Robert see?
15. Imagine if you are on a long distance flight. You are sitting in the middle aisle with two free seats. If you
could choose 2 writers and/or characters (novels or short stories) to sit next to you for the duration of
the flight, whom would you want sitting next to you? Why? What would you want to ask the 2
writers/characters? What would be the topic(s) of your conversation?