Semester Midterm Exam Study Guide
Overview:
1. Multiple Choice (25%)
• Questions could cover the plot, characters, conflict, setting, theme, and narrative perspective
from Beowulf, Macbeth, and Frankenstein.
• Questions could cover terminology, either in definition or in practice (i.e. Read the following
lines. What type of imagery is exemplified by the underlined portions?)
• Expect to be asked about the Literary periods we have covered: Medieval, Renaissance,
Romantic.
• Expect to evaluate effective writing. You might see questions like: Which of the following is
the most successful or effective thesis statement? Which of the following integrates
quotations most successfully?
• Review all quizzes from the semester for review.
2. Passage Analysis (25%)
• You will be given two passages to choose from. The passages could come from Beowulf,
Macbeth, Frankenstein, or a poem (either one we have read or not read).
• You will be expected to write one cohesive paragraph explaining something significant about
the passage or poem. It could explain the use of a particular figurative or poetic device,
characterization, conflict, setting, symbolism, etc.
• Your paragraph should be structured well, with an opening sentence, followed by sentences
that weave analysis with quotations, and a closing sentence. Quotations should be integrated.
• This portion of the exam will be based on the quality of your ideas, your thoroughness, and
your organization.
3. Essay (50%)
• You will be given an option of two prompts.
• Choose one and compose a structured, formal essay.
• The prompts could be about Macbeth, Frankenstein, or a poem (that we have read).
• If the prompts are about a poem, you will be given the text of the poem. If the prompts are
about Macbeth or Frankenstein, you will be given key passages you can use for quotation.
However, you are not limited to using the passages provided to you. If you have memorized
any quotations, you may use those, too.
• Ensure that you review proper introduction format (start with a universal statement, provide
background information, and end with a thesis statement that provides both your argument
and plan), paragraph format, integrated quotations, and a proper conclusion.
• You will be asked to incorporate five essay verbs from a provided word bank (the essay verbs
that we went over this semester).
Use the rest of this packet to go into each category of the exam more deeply. Remember also to use the
resources already posted on Homework Central, too!
TERMINOLOGY TO REVIEW (25%)
1. Novel
2. Play
3. Poem
4. Author
5. Playwright
6. Poem
7. Stanza
8. Parody
9. Satire
10. Archetype
11. Diction
12. Personification
13. Metaphor
14. Simile
15. Repetition
16. Alliteration
17. Apostrophe
18. Allusion (literary, biblical, historical, mythological)
19. Irony (verbal, dramatic, situational)
20. Internal conflict
21. External conflict
22. Characterization (direct and indirect)
23. Imagery (visual, olfactory, gustatory, auditory, tactile)
24. Symbolism
25. Point of view or narrative perspective (first person, third person omniscient, third person limited,
framed narration)
26. Framing
27. Motif
*Note: Make sure you also review the essay verbs on the handout on the Resources page of Homework
Central!
PASSAGE ANALYSIS (25%)
This section can be challenging to review for, but here are some study tips:
1. Make sure you know a variety of techniques an author or playwright might incorporate into his or her
style. These could include diction, metaphors, similes, personification, alliteration, repetition, word
order, sentence structure, punctuation, imagery, and so forth. Look back at the list of terms for more
ideas.
2. Try choosing a page from one of our three major texts at random and writing a close reading analysis.
Make sure you time yourself—try to keep your analysis around 15-20 minutes.
3. Review how to quote the text, integrating quotations into your writing and using proper citation.
Here are some successful samples. They were written by your classmates this year!
An analysis of p. 45 of Frankenstein:
Notice the use
of literary
terminology
throughout:
motif,
Romantic
period,
symbolize.
Quotations are
well
integrated.
Ellipses (the
dot-dot-dot)
and brackets
are used to
make the
integration
smoother.
This writer
has thought
about how
Mary
Shelley’s
choices in
depicting
nature (so
much
imagery!)
indicate the
changes in
Victor’s
character and
are reflective
of the values
and interests
in the
Romantic
period.
ESSAY (50%)
In this section you will find some practice essay prompts and a review of basic essay structures. Remember,
you will be graded on your knowledge of the text, your response to the question, your analysis of the text
(i.e. quotations and analysis), structure, and your use of language (present tense, avoid contractions, formal
use of language, proper notation of the text’s title, and so forth). Remember to look up the in-class essay
grading criteria (a separate document on the Resources page of Homework Central.
When you begin reviewing for the essay portion of your exam, first start by reviewing weak points in
previous essays. Try making a list of things you need to focus on. It’s then a good idea to actually practice
writing an essay. Choose a prompt, set a timer for 40 minutes, and write!
Practice Essay Questions
1. The struggle for power is often an unequal contest. Write an essay exploring this idea.
2. Is it true that the best literature is often critical of society?
3. Love can be a destructive force. Write an essay either proving or disproving this statement.
4. The writer is the conscience of his or her people. Explain the extent to which this statement is true.
5. Referring to both literary works you have studied this semester, explain what you think is meant by
the phrase “a strong character”.
6.
“Passion ruins lives.” Consider this statement with reference to both literary works you have studied
this semester.
7. Minor characters sometimes play major roles. Support this statement by explaining why minor
characters are major, referring to both literary works read this semester.
Here are a couple of sample essays. The first example is a poetry essay, and the second example is based on
Lord of the Flies.
EXPLAIN HOW THE AUTHOR USES THREE STYLISTIC DEVICES TO EXPRESS A THEME IN
THE POEM “BECAUSE I COULD NOT STOP FOR DEATH” BY EMILY DICKINSON.
Death is most people’s greatest fear. Yet Emily Dickinson, a reclusive poet known for ruminating
about death, felt differently. Many of her poems discussed death in a neutral or even sometimes positive
way, suggesting that death would be an experience that people should feel differently about. Dickinson’s
poem “Because I Could Not Stop for Death,” first published posthumously in 1890, features the speaker
confronting death. In “Because I Could Not Stop for Death,” poet Emily Dickinson ironically explains that
death is a pleasant passage that eventually comes to everyone through the use of personification, rhythm, and
an extended metaphor.
Dickinson’s use of personification depicts death as a gentleman, a man who is chivalrous and kind
towards others. In the first two lines of the poem, the speaker states that “Because I could not stop for Death,
/ He kindly stopped for me” (1-2). Death, capitalized like a name, is represented as someone “kindly” who
stops to pick up the speaker at her house. This image is very unlike the gruesome and gory Grim Reaper that
is the common characterization of death. While taking the speaker on her passage to the afterlife, Death
“slowly drove, he knew no haste” (5). Again, like a gentleman, Death does not rush the speaker. He is
patient, kind, and attentive to her needs. Personification makes death like a gentleman. He is not scary, but a
pleasant, kind, and helpful person.
The regular rhythm in the poem at first seems ironic, but reflects the fact that death is being presented as
something satisfying or agreeable rather than frightening or tragic. Each stanza begins with 8 syllables in the
first line, 6 syllables in the second, then 8 again in the third, and 6 again in the fourth.
This pattern produces a quicker rhythm in first and third line of each stanza, slower in second and fourth,
emphasizing the second and fourth, which usually contain the most revealing ideas in the poem such as
“eternity” and “immortality.” Clearly, there is a continuity of syllables in each stanza since the pattern
repeats. Consequently, this provides musicality to the poem. The regular rhythm makes the poem lighter in
tone, which seems ironic to reader at first since death is usually something frightening. However, upon
deeper reading it becomes clear that the musical nature of the poem fittingly reflects death as a calm passage
instead of a fearsome and unknown event.
Lastly, Dickinson is able to portray death as something positive through her use of extended metaphor in
the fourth stanza. The speaker states that she and Death “paused before a house that seemed / A swelling of
the ground” (17-8). When the reader imagines this “house” it is at first difficult to recognize it as a grave.
Yet the poem’s topic of death combined with the house’s description as a “swelling of the ground” reveal
that the speaker has indeed arrived at her new home, but that new home is her tomb. The speaker then notes
that “The roof was scarcely visible, / The cornice but a mound” (19-20). Here, in the metaphor’s extension,
the “house” is illustrated as deep in the ground, further cementing the idea that the home is in fact a grave.
Interestingly, the grave is described in a very normal and neutral way. Many people think of a grave as a
cold and frightening representation of the end of life, but here the speaker easily and pleasantly refers to it
like a home.
Death is a normal part of life that does not have to be difficult or scary. In fact, in one of her most
widely-read poems, “Because I Could Not Stop for Death,” Emily Dickinson proves that death can be a
pleasant passage instead of a finite end. Throughout the poem, personification makes death appear a
gentleman, rhythm gives the poem a whimsical or musical feel, and an extended metaphor makes the
speaker’s grave seem more like a home. It is true that death is a part of the cycle of life, but it is also
something that most people fear. That being said, is it possible to view death in a new light? Death
can and should be viewed as an accepted life event, and as Dickinson proves, a pleasant release from
hardship and toil.
Notice that in this poetry essay, the body paragraphs are color-coded:
Main idea
Evidence or example
Analysis and explanation
Evidence or example
Analysis and explanation
Link back to thesis statement and consider the effect the main idea has on the reader or audience.
Now let’s focus in on the introduction and the conclusion. In a sense, the two are mirror images. They
should relate so that your paper is cohesive and clear. That being said, it’s important that your conclusion
attempt to push more deeply into your topic or theme. Try considering the effect the main message of the text
has on the audience or reader.
The introduction should have:
1. A UNIVERSAL OPENING: This should be a hook and universal opening. It is
sometimes also called the exordium. Look at your thesis statement. What is the key
word? Or, think about your essay as a whole. What is the key word? Think about the
universal truth that is demonstrated in the text about that key word. A useful trick?
Remember that the universal opening should not yet bring up any of the texts or sources
used throughout the essay. The universal opening is in bold in these samples.
2. BACKGROUND: Ensure that you introduce the primary text’s title, author, and text
type (play, novel, poem, short story, etc.). Present any relevant historical information,
and then provide 1-2 sentences summarizing the entirety of the primary text. The
background, sometimes referred to as the narratio, is plain, black text in these samples.
3. THESIS STATEMENT: The thesis statement should be comprised of your argument and your
outline statement. You may split these into a couple of sentences or put them into one sentence,
depending on your topic and length of your essay. The thesis statement, sometimes referred to as
propositio and partitio, is underlined in these samples.
The conclusion should have the three “Rs”:
1. Review of the main argument (propositio) in the thesis statement.
2. Review of the main points of each body paragraph (partitio). Consider writing one sentence for each.
3. Reflection on your universal opening (exordium).
In the end, your introduction and conclusion are mirror images:
Death is most people’s greatest fear. Yet for Emily
Dickinson, a reclusive poet known for ruminating about
death, felt differently. Many of her poems discussed
death in a neutral or even sometimes positive way,
suggesting that death would be an experience that
people should feel different about. Dickinson’s poem
“Because I Could Not Stop for Death,” first published
posthumously in 1890, features the speaker confronting
death. In “Because I Could Not Stop for Death,” poet
Emily Dickinson ironically explains that death is a
pleasant passage that eventually comes to everyone
through the use of personification, rhythm, and an
extended metaphor.
Death is a normal part of life that does not have to be
difficult or scary. In fact, in one of her most widely-read
poems, “Because I Could Not Stop for Death,” Emily
Dickinson proves that death can be a pleasant passage
instead of a finite end. Throughout the poem,
personification makes death appear a gentleman, rhythm
gives the poem a whimsical or musical feel, and an extended
metaphor makes the speaker’s grave seem more like a home.
It is true that death is a part of the cycle of life, but it is
also something that most people fear. That being said, is
it possible to view death in a new light? Death can and
should be viewed as an accepted life event, and as
Dickinson proves, a pleasant release from hardship and
toil.
CONSIDER WILLIAM GOLDING’S USE OF SYMBOLISM IN LORD OF THE FLIES. EXPLAIN
HOW SYMBOLISM IS USED TO EXPRESS MEANING IN THE BOOK.
It is a commonly held belief that all people are both good, meaning they have the natural
inclination to act charitably and empathetically, and bad, meaning they have the inherent tendency to
commit sinful and selfish acts. In his 1954 novel Lord of the Flies, William Golding, an English writer and
war veteran, explores the tug-of-war between righteousness and malevolence in human nature. The novel
depicts a group of boys who are stranded on an island and come in contact with many unique elements that
symbolize ideas or concepts relating to and representing their natures. Through the use of symbols such as
the pig's head, the beast, and Piggy's specs, Golding demonstrates that humans, when liberated from society's
rules and taboos, allow their natural capacity for evil to dominate their existence.
One of the most important and most obvious symbols in Lord of the Flies is the object that gives the
novel its name, the pig's head. Golding's description of the slaughtered animal's head on a spear is very
graphic and even frightening. The pig's head is depicted as "dim-eyed, grinning faintly, blood blackening
between the teeth," and the "obscene thing" is covered with a "black blob of flies" that "tickled under his
nostrils" (137-8). As a result of this detailed, striking image, the reader becomes aware of the great evil and
darkness represented by the Lord of the Flies, and when Simon begins to converse with the seemingly
inanimate, devil-like object, the source of that wickedness is revealed. Even though the conversation may be
entirely a hallucination, Simon learns that the beast, which has long since frightened the other boys on the
island, is not an external force. In fact, the head of the slain pig tells him, "Fancy thinking the beast was
something you could hunt and kill! You knew, didn't you? I'm part of you?" (143). At the end of this scene,
the immense evil represented by this powerful symbol can once again be seen as Simon faints after looking
into the wide mouth of the pig and seeing "blackness within, a blackness that spread" (144). Thus, evil,
epitomized by the pig's head, that is causing the boys' island society to decline, is inherently present within
man.
Another of the most important symbols used to present the theme of the novel is the beast. In the
imaginations of many of the boys, the beast is a tangible source of evil on the island. However, in reality, it
represents the evil naturally present within everyone, which is causing life on the island to deteriorate. Simon
begins to realize this even before his encounter with the Lord of the Flies, and during one argument over the
existence of a beast, he attempts to share his insight with the others. Timidly, Simon tells them, "Maybe,
maybe there is no beast. What I mean is, maybe it's only us" (89). In response to Simon's statement, the other
boys, who had once conducted their meetings with some sense of order, immediately begin to argue more
fiercely. The crowd gives a "wild whoop" when Jack rebukes Ralph, saying "Bollocks to the rules! We're
strong, we hunt! If there's a beast, we'll hunt it down! We'll close in and beat and beat and beat!" (91).
Clearly, the boys' fear of the beast and their ironic desire to kill the beast shows that the hold which society's
rules once had over them has been loosened during the time they have spent without supervision on the
island.
The evil within the boys has more of an effect on their existence as they spend more time on the
island, isolated from the rest of society, and this decline is portrayed by Piggy's specs. Throughout the novel,
Piggy represents the civilization and the rules from which the boys have been separated. Interestingly, as
Piggy loses his ability to see, so do the other boys lose their vision of that civilization. When the story
begins, Piggy can see clearly with both lenses of his spectacles intact, and the boys are still fairly civilized.
For example, at one of their first meetings, the boys decide that they "can't have everybody talking at once"
and that they "have to have ‘Hands up’ like at school" (33). However, after some time passes, the hunters
become more concerned with slaughtering a pig than with being rescued and returning to civilization. When
they return from a successful hunt in the jungle chanting "Kill the pig, cut her throat, spill her blood," Ralph
and Piggy attempt to explain to the hunters that having meat for their meals is not as important as keeping
the signal fire burning (69). In an ensuing scuffle, Jack knocks Piggy’s specs from his face, smashing one of
the lenses against the mountain rocks and greatly impairing his vision, symbolizing the boys’ transition to a
more savage society. Finally, after Jack forms his own tribe of savages, he and two of his followers ambush
Ralph, Piggy, and Samneric, and in the midst of "a vicious snarling in the mouth of the shelter and the
plunge and thump of living things," Piggy's specs are stolen, leaving him virtually blind (167). Meanwhile,
Jack returns to Castle Rock, "trotting steadily, exulting in his achievement," as he has practically abandoned
all ties to civilized life (168).
Lord of the Flies is a story that portrays the dark, deteriorating life that results from mankind's
inherent capacity for evil, which is allowed to control humans when they are freed from the rules of society.
Throughout the novel, Golding uses many different objects as symbols to illustrate this theme. Some of those
objects would be insignificant in real life and would most likely be taken for granted. However, in Lord of
the Flies, the Lord of the Flies itself, the beast, and Piggy’s specs are each vital to the story's theme. Thus,
while there is goodness in each of us, sin and selfishness take over in the absence of society’s rules and
expectations, proving that, inherently, humans are evil and sinful creatures.
Your introduction and conclusion are mirror images:
It is a commonly held belief that all people are
both good, meaning they have the natural inclination to
act charitably and empathetically, and bad, meaning they
have the inherent tendency to commit sinful and selfish
acts. In his 1954 novel Lord of the Flies, William Golding,
an English writer and war veteran, explores the tug-of-war
between righteousness and malevolence in human nature. The
novel depicts a group of boys who are stranded on an island
and come in contact with many unique elements that
symbolize ideas or concepts relating to and representing their
natures. Through the use of symbols such as the pig's head,
the beast, and Piggy's specs, Golding demonstrates that
humans, when liberated from society's rules and taboos, allow
their natural capacity for evil to dominate their existence.
Lord of the Flies is a story that portrays the
dark, deteriorating life that results from mankind's
inherent capacity for evil, which is allowed to control
humans when they are freed from the rules of society.
Throughout the novel, Golding uses many different
objects as symbols to illustrate this theme. Some of
those objects would be insignificant in real life and
would most likely be taken for granted. However, in
Lord of the Flies, the Lord of the Flies itself, the beast,
and Piggy’s specs are each vital to the story's theme.
Thus, while there is goodness in each of us, sin and
selfishness take over in the absence of society’s
rules and expectations, proving that, inherently,
humans are evil and sinful creatures.
Here’s another great example of an introduction and conclusion:
Conscience, the internal character of ones
mind, is what gives a person guidance on the
decisions and actions he/she chooses to make in
his/her everyday life. In his 1891 novel, The Picture
of Dorian Gray, author Oscar Wilde portrays the
importance of the change in ones personal character
and the importance of listening to one’s conscience.
Being an author of the Victorian era, Oscar Wilde's
novel demonstrates the importance of admitting and
repenting for one's sins, no matter how horrid they
may be, and of living a life of honesty and
righteousness. Dorian, the main character of the
novel, goes through many internal conflicts dealing
with drug abuse and his own conscience and dirty
soul. He also experiences the matters of treacherous
external conflicts, as he commits two murders, one of
his beloved, Sybil, and the second of his admirer,
Basil. While Dorian comes to realize that his life is
not in a very pleasing state, he tries to repent for all
things he has done. Dorian’s evolution of character
from naïve to corrupt is portrayed by the yellow
book, the portrait, and the opium and opium dens,
proving that living a righteous life means living by
one’s conscience.
With the help of the yellow book, the portrait, and opium
and opium dens, Oscar Wilde is able to clearly explain to the
readers that a person cannot live his or her life solely on
instinct. Instead, one must listen to his or her conscience in
order to make wise decisions that will not jeopardize his or her
being. The yellow book represents how easily manipulated a
person can be into doing things when he or she is presented
with such things. The portrait is a direct representation of
Dorian's soul and what is on his conscience, for when he
murders Basil, the red shows on the portrait representing the
blood of Basil on the hands of Dorian. The opium and opium
dens are representative of how when Dorian uses these
substances he is not able to make smart decisions as to what
he is going to do, because the opium takes away he ability to
think clearly while he is under that influence. While, at first,
The Picture of Dorian Gray seems like a story of an indecisive
man who has no direction in his thoughts, it becomes a story
of a murderer with a dirty conscience who finds the worst
ways possible to cleanse his soul. By the end of the novel
conscience is defined as how a person goes about repenting
for his or her sins and horrid actions; all people will
commit actions in their lives that they regret, but what is
important is how he or she goes about making up for those
actions.
Let’s quickly focus in on body paragraphs.
One of the most important and most obvious symbols in Lord of the
Flies is the object that gives the novel its name, the pig's head. Golding's
description of the slaughtered animal's head on a spear is very graphic and
even frightening. The pig's head is depicted as "dim-eyed, grinning faintly,
blood blackening between the teeth," and the "obscene thing" is covered with a
"black blob of flies" that "tickled under his nostrils" (137-8). As a result of this
detailed, striking image, the reader becomes aware of the great evil and
darkness represented by the Lord of the Flies, and when Simon begins to
converse with the seemingly inanimate, devil-like object, the source of that
wickedness is revealed. Even though the conversation may be entirely a
hallucination, Simon learns that the beast, which has long since frightened the
other boys on the island, is not an external force. In fact, the head of the slain
pig tells him, "Fancy thinking the beast was something you could hunt and kill!
You knew, didn't you? I'm part of you?" (143). At the end of this scene, the
immense evil represented by this powerful symbol can once again be seen as
Simon faints after looking into the wide mouth of the pig and seeing
"blackness within, a blackness that spread" (144). Thus, evil, epitomized by the
pig's head, that is causing the boys' island society to decline, is inherently
present within man.
In her short story “Snapshots of a Wedding” set in Botswana, South
African author Bessie Head illustrates the tenuous conflict between tradition
and modernization in the Setswana culture. While the changes that result from
modernization can have both positive and negative effects, the narrative voice
in the story could be considered ironic in consideration of Head’s life,
implying the possibility that Head indeed feels that in a world that is
progressing and becoming more modern, traditions can be problematic and
even stifling. The female character Neo, who is educated through her ‘O’
levels much like Head herself, is shunned by her family and even by the third
person narrator, who notes that she is “an impossible girl with haughty,
arrogant ways” (l. 36-37). The narrator is much aligned with Neo’s traditional
family in believing that a Western education has in some way ruined her, yet it
seems strange given Head’s biographical connections to Neo, suggesting that
the narrator has been created as an ironic contrast to Head’s personal feelings.
Moreover, the narrator claims that life has “treated Neo rather nicely” when
she essentially forces Kegoletile into a marriage born of her own anxiety and a
pregnancy she planned without his consent (l. 53). In addition to the
understated combination of “rather nicely,” one must consider Neo’s situation
in contrast to the literal meaning of these words. A progressive woman like
Head, who was both a teacher and journalist, might not consider this a “nice”
predicament in reality. The fact that Neo pushes herself into this situation
combined with the traditional narrator’s feelings that this is a positive outcome
demonstrates the strains that Neo, and possibly even Head, feels as a modern
woman who has become an outsider in her once-familiar society. A close
reading of the text and knowledge of Head’s personal life lead the reader to
recognizing the irony of the narrative voice and thus the subtle comment Head
makes about the restrictions traditional societies may inadvertently put on their
increasingly modern, young generations.
Your opening sentence should be straightforward and clear. Do NOT get into a summary! Remember, the purpose of this text is to provide a convincing analysis, so start w ith the analysis right away. Notice that, for the most part, the quotations are short, and the analysis is longer. Provide the text, and then closely read it! Remember that a quotation is just any group of words that was said by someone other than you. Starting an analysis sentence with “This quotation shows” is thus imprecise and ineffective. What is it about the words you presented that affect a reader? In the case of these analysis sentences, the elements of the text that affect the reader are the “detailed, striking image.” These opening sentences are a bit too long. However, since you (you reading this study guide!) are not familiar with this short story, it is helpful to have a little extra background so I left it in. You’re right, though—they’re a bit long. I like that the person w ho wrote this incorporated close reading into his/her analysis sentences. He/she considers the “understated combination” of words and the “contrast” that’s indicated by them. In terms of the sentence that presents the quotation from the text (“treated Neo rather nicely”), I like that the quotation is so smoothly integrated into the sentence. Here are a few more to examine… Look specifically at how neither of them use “This quotations shows” or
“This shows.” The writers of these paragraphs were specific and deliberate about the way they analyzed the
text.
The prologue’s function in I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is to create a bridge that both
foreshadows the themes and tone of the story to follow and connects the meaning of the title to the
narrative itself. To begin with, the protagonist and first-person narrator of the prologue is Marguerite, and
this tells the reader that she will most likely have the spotlight pointed on her for the rest of the
autobiography. When speaking of herself, Marguerite claims that she is “really white and…a cruel fairy
stepmother...had turned [her] into a too-big Negro girl, with nappy black hair, broad feet and a space
between [her] teeth that would hold a number-two pencil.” The fact that she emphasizes her race and
connects it with such negative imagery proves its significance. This desire to be white instead of black
additionally shows the effects Jim Crow era racism had on people, including innocent and vulnerable
children. From just the prologue, it is clear to the reader that racial discrimination will be a major focus of
the narrative. Moreover, the reader can conclude that most likely the majority of Black-American children
found the process of growing up very hard, emphasized by the metaphor within the final lines: “If growing
up is painful for a Southern black girl, being aware of her displacement is the rust on the razor that
threatens the throat.” With this metaphor, comparing a young girl’s life to the threat of a painful death,
protagonist Marguerite (and thus her older voice Maya) indicates the fear and danger of being aware of the
multiple forces of opposition working against her. The lines not only demonstrate the highly figurative
style of the prose to follow, but in particular highlight the themes of racial and gender discrimination.
Arising from the image of the “caged bird” in the title, particularly in consideration of the Jim Crow era
context, are themes such as liberty and freedom, which are connected to a quotation on page 6: “I laughed
anyway, partially for the sweet release; still, the greater joy came not only from being liberated from the
silly church, but from the knowledge that I wouldn’t die from a busted head.” This scene creates in the
mind of the reader the image of Marguerite during her moment of freedom, when she can, alone, run from
the church to her house. She might be symbolized by the image of the bird, who, although being in a cage,
still has the power to sing; just like she has to power to be happy even though the problems she has to face
are many. The prologue is thus able to introduce the main character and the conflicts that she faces and
Angelou’s highly figurative style, but more importantly the theme of discrimination, smoothly leading the
reader from the title to the main prose of the autobiography.
Although the play is set in Venice, Italy, the major social conflicts of the play The Merchant of
Venice were specifically chosen in order to reflect the society of Shakespeare’s audience. A major conflict
during Shakespeare’s time was the malevolence between Christians and Jews, especially prominent in the
topic of usury. The Merchant of Venice, by Shakespeare, portrays this conflict between the major
characters in the story, Shylock, the Jew usurer, and Antonio, the Christian merchant. In a rant, Shylock
describes the way that Antonio, and by extension Christians, had been treating him: “You call me a
misbeliever, cut-throat dog, / and spit upon my Jewish gaberdine” (I.iii.108-9). The hostility of Antonio’s
actions serve as an allusion to the Christian treatment of Jews in England; this makes the play’s conflicts
more relevant to the audience. In one of Shylock’s asides, the Jewish viewpoint on the conflict is revealed
as he states, “I hate him for he is a Christian; / but more, for that in low simplicity / he lends out money
gratis and brings down / the rate of usance” (I.iii.39-42). Even though this aside explains the Jewish view
on Christians, it still depicts the Jews as the money-grabbing villains. Jewish people were most likely
characterized in this way to appeal to Shakespeare’s audience, who were mainly English Christians.
Moreover, with most of England’s population being devout Christians, the Bible’s refutation of usury
augmented the already present anti-Semitism. The hatred of Jews and usury makes the plot more relatable
for the early modern English audience. Shylock’s hatred of Antonio and the Bible’s denial of usury further
solidify the social similarities of Venice and England, making the play more relatable for Shakespeare’s
audience.