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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. In relationship to the "I" what does Culler suggest is a constant debate?

2. Who was against the ideas that performative language could be humorous?

3. Who defined rhetoric as "the art of persuasion"?

4. What type of lyric is used in sublime poetry?

5. According to Nancy Armstrong, feelings and personal qualities in characters became more important than _____________.

Short Essay Questions

1. How does a rhetorical figure use language in poetry?

2. According to Chapter 7, who developed the idea of performative language?

3. According to Aristotle, what three points must be contained within a plot?

4. What is poetics, as explained by "Chapter 5, Rhetoric, Poetics, and Poetry"?

5. What is the role of the narrator limited?

6. According to Chapter 8, in terms of the "I," what do literary theorists debate?

7. What extra understanding does performative language allow an audience, according to theorists?

8. Who created a portrait of the "modern individual"?

9. Who believed that performative language had to be serious in order to set a standard?

10. According to Culler, what prompts a reader to finish reading a novel?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Much English literature sought to control the masses and instill a sense of national pride. Create an argument for or against the following topic, citing specific examples from the text: Although literature sought to control the masses, this technique often backfired. Literature allowed the lower class to understand the difference in the class system. This instilled a desire for the lower class to obtain the same lifestyle as the upper class.

Essay Topic 2

For an author, the opportunity to be published is a hurdle to overcome when it comes to having a work declared literary. Why is publication so important to the literary process? Create an argument citing specific examples from the text.

Essay Topic 3

Literary theory has the power to create new ideas and to destroy old ones. Write an essay on the power of literary theory to change a social mindset based on its social influence.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 534 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample