Assignment Paper

REQUIRED MATERIAL (I do not have links to these)
The Norton Anthology of World Literature, 4th Edition, Vol. D, E, and F
Ed. Martin Puchner
ISBN: 978-0-393-26591-0

For your third exam, you will write an essay response to the topic posted below using only readings on the syllabus from the last three weeks of this course. Only readings listed on the syllabus by these authors are eligible for the exam: Rilke, Neruda, Achebe, Mahfouz, El Saadawi, Al-Shaykh, Yan, Thiep, Allende, Pamuk, and Adichie.

*Assigned Readings I selected*

*Al-Shaykh, “The Women’s Swimming Pool” p. 1077-1083 (Vol. F)
*Achebe, “Chike’s School Days” p. 807-812 (Vol. F)
*Allende, “And of Clay We Are Created” p. 1133-1141 (Vol. F)

Your essay response must be a minimum of 750 words (there is no maximum, but try to avoid writing a book), and it must be in conventional essay format (contain an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion). While you may use some of an author’s biography to make your point, keep in mind that your discussion should include a discussion of the texts we have read in class and not rely solely on biographical information. Any paraphrases or direct quotations of material from the texts you are using must be properly punctuated (clear use of quotation marks for direct quotations, for example) and must contain a parenthetical citation (in MLA or APA format) noting the page number of the material. There is no need for a works cited page if you’re using the assigned textbook, but if you’re using any other version of the assigned texts, you must provide a works cited page, noting full bibliographical information for your source material, with the submitted exam.
This should be entirely your own argument, and you are not allowed to use any secondary material in this exam (your textbook or the version of the assigned text you’re using is your only source). As much as these are your own arguments, you should minimize your use of “I” unless absolutely necessary.

EXAM TOPIC
In the final few weeks of the course, authors reflect on many ideas, but one thread that runs through most of the texts is a focus on history (which seems fitting as we reflected on the future in Exam #2). Sometimes the focus is on family history, or sometimes the focus in on specific cultural history or the history of humanity. In your exam, use at least three specific examples from assigned texts in the final three weeks of the course to show how we see a discussion of history (family history, cultural history, the history of humanity, or whatever other historical focus that you notice). Where specifically do we see history referred to or portrayed in the text? What does the author seem to be saying about history in that context? What can we learn about history, of ourselves or of others, through these examples?