11Th Grade American Literature

10th Grade World Literature Final Exam Outline – Spring 2009

From Literature of Greece and Rome…

I. Homer’s “The Iliad” a. Book 1 i. themes – rage of Achilles; connections between gods and humans. ii. Achilles attitude toward Athena’s words. iii. Achilles’ efforts to reassure Calchas – “no one will lay his heavy hands on you by the hollow ships.” b. Book 6 i. conflict between Hector and Andromache – needs of country v. needs of family ii. Hector’s attitude toward his son c. Book 22 i. image used to describe Achilles’ attack – swooping and screaming hawk ii. how Athena convinces Hector to fight Achilles d. Book 24 i. Apollo’s criticism of Achilles – Apollo sees him as having no shame ii. emotional connection between Priam and Achilles iii. change in Achilles – anger to compassion iv. Hector’s funeral – how do the Trojans demonstrate their love for Hector II. Oedipus the King a. the effect of the chorus on Oedipus throughout the play b. Part I i. opens with widespread disease in Thebes – effort to elicit pity from the audience ii. tone of Oedipus speech to citizens about finding Laius’s murderer iii. Oedipus’s assumptions about Creon that lead him to turn against Creon iv. Oedipus’s weakness that is demonstrated in Part I v. function of the chorus in Part I – provide commentary on the action c. Part II i. dramatic irony – when an audience knows something the character doesn’t know – Oedipus’s expectation that the herdsman will reassure him when audience knows the opposite will be true ii. herdsman – why he does not want to speak the truth iii. Jocasta – motivation for suicide – ashamed of what has happened iv. Oedipus – motivation for blinding himself – effort at self punishment

1 From The Middle Ages…

I. “Perceval’s The Grail” a. Who Perceval blames when he can’t find the castle. b. Most amazing feature of the grail c. Affect of the feast on Perceval – distraction from the grail procession d. quest story – the search for spiritual maturity II. “Song of Roland” a. natural event that disturbs the earth during the defeat of the French b. trait of a good military officer that Roland failed to demonstrate c. difference between medieval epic heroes and other epic heroes – medieval heroes are not perfect d. Ganalon’s efforts to mislead Charles e. medieval value – respect and honor for the power of swords – Durendal III. Dante’s “Inferno” a. Canto I i. “the straight road” as a symbol for pure spirit ii. three raging beasts – symbols of sin iii. Virgil’s role in the journey iv. Dante’s hope that readers will react in terror to spirits “in endless pain” v. Dante’s mood as he departs vi. appeal to sense of sight – lion with an “enormous head held high” b. Canto III i. appeal to sense of sound – “sighs and cries” quote ii. Charon’s job iii. “grim shore” – symbol for ______iv. sights and sounds – show dark side of the human soul c. Canto V i. direct characterization 1. description of Minos 2. Dante’s attitude toward those being punished for giving in to passion 3. souls that gave into appetites – experience great pain 4. Dante the poet – attitude toward Paolo and Francesca d. Canto XXXIV (34) i. Dante’s reaction to seeing Satan ii. indirect characterization – Satan’s actions iii. description of the departure from hell iv. from Siddhartha…

I. Buddhism background a. The Four Noble Truths of Buddhism – what are they? b. Samsara – what is is it? how does it work?

2 II. Siddhartha a. Siddhartha i. belief in achieving goals – must be able to do these three things ii. conclusion he makes about teachers – enlightenment cannot come through teaching b. Kamala i. the art she teaches Siddhartha ii. prevented from completing her journey – snakebite by the river c. Siddhatha’s son i. attitude toward his new lifestyle after Kamala dies d. Kamaswami i. teaches Siddhartha how to acquire wealth e. Vasudeva (The ferryman) i. his primary belief ii. his greatest virtue f. Govinda i. Siddhartha’s childhood friend ii. watches over Siddhartha when he sleeps by the river from Anthem...

I. The Unmentionable Times – when was it II. Characters a. Equality 7-2521 i. his job ii. location of his meeting with the Golden One iii. why he is sent to the Palace of Corrective Detention. iv. what Equality renames himself as after his escape v. the word he rediscovers after escaping b. The Golden One i. her job from Night…

I. Before the Concentration Camp a. Attitude of Sighet’s Jews II. Characters a. Moshe the Beadle b. Elie i. dehumanized by tattoo on arm ii. mistakes he made during his experience with the Nazis iii. love for his father, his humanity, his faith in God – what do these have in common for Elie iv. feelings about his father’s death c. Juliek i. playing the violin before he dies

3 III. Concentration camps a. selection process – What occurs? What selections are made? b. Auschwitz i. words on the front gate from Latin American literature…

I. “The Handsomest Drowned Man” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez a. response of the village women to the dead man b. magical realism – change in the hearts and souls of the villagers as a result of the dead man II. “Two Words” by Isabel Allende a. Belisa’s profession – what is it? b. El Mulato’s accusation at the end of the story III. “Night Face Up,” by Julio Cortazar a. conflict between reality and dream b. who is chasing the main character in reality? IV. “Tell Them Not to Kill Me” by Juan Rulfo a. crime committed by Juvencio Nava b. points of view – first and third person c. reasons Juvencio Nava gives for why he should be set free