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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. Plutarch is known as the first great what?

2. In addition to a personal essayist, what kind of essayist is Samuel Johnson.

3. When was Charles Lamb born?

4. What reasoning does Plutarch offer in "Consolation to His Wife?"

5. How was Montaigne's first book received?

Short Essay Questions

1. What philosophy of death does Plutarch advise in "Consolation to His Wife?"

2. Why is Samuel Johnson famous? What kind of essays did he write?

3. What is the subject of "Pleasure Boat Studio?"

4. What subjects are talked about in "On Some Verses of Virgil?"

5. What idea sparks Montaigne to write after his first book is a success?

6. What caused Michel de Montaigne to start writing?

7. What is dealt with by Kenko in his essay "Essays in Idleness?"

8. As expressed in "On Some Verses of Virgil," what does Montaigne have to say about the nature of the sexes?

9. What is the tone of Joseph Addison's "Nicolini and the Lions?" What details of the story account for this tone?

10. What position on slaves does Seneca take in his essay "Slaves?"

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Food is the controlling idea in "Why Do I Fast" by Wole Soyinka and "Meatless Days" by Sara Suleri.

A) What is the attitude each author has about food?

B) How is food a metaphor for each author as they grapple with larger issues?

C) Why is biographical information crucial for a deeper understanding of these two essays?

Essay Topic 2

"The Fight" by William Hazlitt and "The Execution of Tropmann" by Ivan Turgenev are examples of sub-genres of the personal essay, reportage.

A) What makes each essay an example of reportage?

B) What is each author's opinion on what they are reporting? Are they intrigued, disgusted, objective, etc.?

C) Compare and contrast the tones in both pieces. How does tone relate to reportage?

Essay Topic 3

Roland Barthes in "Leaving the Movie Theater" and Gayle Pemberton in "Do He Have Your Number, Mr. Jeffrey" both speak about personal experiences they have had with movies.

A) How is the movie experience different for each author? What does each author take away from their movie watching experience?

B) How might race impact the movie watching experience? Would Barthes' experience with movie watching be any different if he was confronted with actors on screen of a different race?

(see the answer keys)

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