Final Exam

For this exam you prepare three essays. The essay guidelines are designed to encourage you to review the material from this semester carefully, and with an eye to how various elements from the course can fit into your clear arguments about culture, history, literature, philosophy, and the arts from the Enlightenment to the present.

In each essay:
• you must have an argument (not just a list);
• you must discuss at least six examples from material covered this semester in the syllabus and in lectures;
• of those examples, at least two must be from the first half of the semester and at least four must be from the second half of the semester;
• of those examples, at least one must be an image, and at least one must be a piece of music;
• for all examples in each essay you must supply not only basic relevant information (author, title, date, genre, period, etc.), but you must also cite or quote some relevant portion of that example (a quotation; an illustration, described or sketched [or both]; a melody or sound, described or transcribed [or both]).

Essay 1 has as its theme color.

Essay 2 has as its theme liberty (freedom, autonomy).

Essay 3 has as its theme history (time).

Thus you will be working with at least eighteen different examples in three different essays. Additionally:
• you may not use an example more than once in the whole exam;
• try to avoid repeating an argument or using examples from your midterm essay or either of your two papers this semester.

Enjoy preparing for this. As before, we encourage conversations and group work as you study.

The exam is self-scheduled through the exam center. Bring exam envelopes to your professor. Bring your own blue books.


(Printable version of these guidelines here.)