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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 the 20th century, what is the most popular form of literature, according to Culler?

2. According to Culler, when it comes to performative language, what is required to give a word or a phrase weight?

3. According to some theorists, what idea was created by literature?

4. According to Culler, poetry's imagery has the power of ____________.

5. According to Chapter 6, what is the purpose of withholding information from a reader?

Short Essay Questions

1. Into what three classes did the Greeks divide literature?

2. What is the ultimate goal of literary theory, according to "Chapter 8, Identity, Identification, and the Subject"?

3. According to Chapter 5, what is rhetoric?

4. According to Chapter 7, what is accomplished by attempting to identify literary performatives?

5. What is the occasional confusion that results from the use of metaphor?

6. According to Chapter 6, "Narrative," why is narrative appealing to readers?

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

8. What is first-person narration?

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

10. Why do some theorists believe that popular characterizations in novels create bad influences?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Within a novel, there are several different forms of narration. Identify one form of narration and answer the following questions:

1) What does this type of narration accomplish?

2) What is the relationship between the reader and this type of narrator?

3) What are the positives and negatives with this form of narration?

Essay Topic 2

The use of the individual or the "I" as a focal point in literature causes alarm for some theorists, as some of them feel that the focus on the individual detracts from potential influence on a group mentality. Write an essay arguing for or against this concern, citing examples from the text.

Essay Topic 3

Readers identify with characters in literature. Theorists believe this identification can accomplish many things, both on a personal and societal level. Write an essay analyzing the many ways reader identification can influence a reader, citing examples from the text.

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