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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. When was Junichiro Tanizaki born?

2. When was Virginia Woolf born?

3. Who wrote "Once a Tramp, Always..."?

4. What did George Orwell renounce, along with his former life?

5. What nationality is Walter Benjamin?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the subject of E.B. White's "Once More to the Lake"? What is the message White relays about the state of the lake?

2. What level of literary output did G. K. Chesterton achieve in his lifetime?

3. What is the subject of Junichiro Tanizaki's "In Praise of Shadows?" What hope does Tanizaki express at the end of the essay?

4. What tone does Mary McCarthy use in "My Confession?" How does she approach herself as well as the subjects of her essays?

5. How did Virginia Woolf's personal background impact her work?

6. What are the particulars of Ivan Turgenev's "The Execution of Tropmann"?

7. What is Robert Louis Stevenson best known for today?

8. What is Jose Luis Borges' perspective on his own increasing blindness, as revealed in his essay "Blindness?"

9. Describe Walter Benjamin's unfortunate end. How does his essay "Unpacking My Library" relate to this tragic end?

10. How does Seymour Krim's life compare to Mary McCarthy's? How did Krim's childhood impact his writing?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

"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 2

Choose two essays.

A) Describe the biographical background of each author.

B) Describe the subject and author's intention ("message") with each essay.

C) Explain how A) and B) are related. Why is an understanding of biography often critical with the personal essay medium? In these two cases, how can we measure the influence of life events on the essay's philosophy and point of view?

Essay Topic 3

Annie Dillard utilizes an unusual writing style in her work.

A) Analyze "Seeing." What are the features of Dillard's writing style? What makes this style unusual?

B) How might Dillard's writing style relate to her view of the world? Why is she using this style? And why is it appropriate for the content of her essay?

(see the answer keys)

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