The Take-Home Exam

It's halftime in the class, so now is the time for the first exam. And think of this exam, which is take-home, as an evaluation of the development of the American Narrative, in terms of how writing began to take shape, how we see this in our culture now, and what it says about being "American" (fuck yeah!).

Thus, choose any TWO questions of the FOUR questions below and write a minimum 750-word answer for each question, using as much detail from the readings and class notes/discussions as possible to support your opinion/position for your chosen questions:

1. How did the Puritans who came over to this new land--America--help to develop and provide a foundation for American literature?

2. How was Anne Bradstreet's life and poetry trendsetting for its time?

3. How did literature progress from the Spiritual Awakening of Jonathan Edwards to the Social Awakening of Benjamin Franklin?

4. Discuss how Benjamin Franklin's story is a parallel for the story of America and how it serves as the foundation for the narrative as we now know it now in American literature.

You may only use the Norton Anthology, the works of the respective authors, and your notes from class only! No internet or secondary references. No sharing information, work on your own.

This is a take-home but it is still an exam, so I ask that you stay w/ the core works covered and for your particular questions. Meaning, you're free to use any authors in your Norton's and if you are discussing a contemporary context, you can reference those works/authors as well, but make sure your base is the author(s).

This also means I want no outside sources. You may only use the works themselves, your Norton Anthology, your class notes, and nothing else for your answers. And there is no need to use citations here because I know inherently what is in the Nortons. And I will check for plagiarism.

And no internet sources, period.

I expect you to use tangible evidence and specific examples from the works of the authors to illustrate and support your answers. And while the biographies of the authors play a large role here, do not rely solely on biographical info for your answers.

Also, in your answers, please put the question number and use paragraph formatting please; translated, write this as you would a traditional essay.

I want these typed, double-spaced, in 12-point font. I don't care what font you use, just make it one that's easy to read, though I prefer Arial. And I may mark errors, but I'm more interested in the ideas here and demonstrating that you've read the material and can make connections.

I want to know your take on these works/author's, not someone else's and not your classmate's. I'm more interested in how you put ideas together, not regurgitating information I already know or what someone else said. There are no right or wrong answers, it's all in how you read these works and engage based on your experiences.