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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. What should a novel be according to Mikhail Bakhtin?

2. Who believed that performative language could be humorous?

3. What is accomplished by literary performatives, according to Culler?

4. Who was J.L. Austin?

5. In literature, what is learned when a character "finds" himself?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

4. During the Renaissance, what was the definition of rhetoric?

5. According to theorists, what gives the reader the most pleasure when reading a novel?

6. In terms of the "I," what do literary works offer?

7. In terms of the "I," what is the product of someone's core?

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

9. According to Chapter 5, genre is very important to a reader. Why?

10. What is first-person narration?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Literary performatives shape the words and phrases used in literature and conversation. Write a brief essay supporting or refuting the following statement, citing examples from the text to support your theory: Literary performatives have the power to change the way society communicates.

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.

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This section contains 485 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample