Directions:
A. Chose one of the topics below and compose a 4-5
paragraph essay (MLA Format). Grading guidelines can be found: http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/members/exam/exam_information/2002.html
(1 QUIZ and 1 ESSAY) DO NOT PLAGIARIZE. IF YOU ARE CAUGHT, YOUR WORK WILL NOT COUNT!!!!!!!
If you
notice, our novel can be adapted to answer any of the questions listed as well
as those on the website.
1.
In literary works, cruelty often functions as a
crucial motivation or a major social or political factor. Song of Solomon is a novel in which acts of cruelty are important
to the theme. Write a well-developed essay analyzing how cruelty functions in
the work as a whole and what the cruelty reveals about the perpetrator and/or
victim. You may select a work from the list below or another work of equal
literary merit. Do not merely summarize the plot.
2.
A bildungsroman, or coming-of-age novel,
recounts the psychological or moral development of its protagonist from youth
to maturity, when this character recognizes his or her place in the world.
Select a single pivotal moment in the psychological or moral development of the
protagonist in Song of Solomon, a
bildungsroman. Then write a well-organized essay that analyzes how that single
moment shapes the meaning of the work as a whole.
3.
In The Writing of Fiction (1925), novelist Edith
Wharton states the following.
“At
every stage in the progress of his tale the novelist must rely on what may be
called the illuminating incident to reveal and emphasize the inner meaning of
each situation. Illuminating incidents are the magic casements of fiction, its
vistas on infinity”.
Using Song
of Solomon, write a well-organized essay in which you describe an
“illuminating” episode or moment and explain how it functions as a “casement,”
a window that opens onto the meaning of the work as a whole. Avoid mere plot
summary.
4.
In some
works of literature, childhood and adolescence are portrayed as times graced by
innocence and a sense of wonder; in other works, they are depicted as times of
tribulation and terror. Focusing on Song
of Solomon, explain how its representation of childhood or adolescence
shapes the meaning of the work as a whole.
5.
Novels and plays often depict characters caught
between colliding cultures—national, regional, ethic, and religion,
institutional. Such collisions can call a character’s sense of identity into
question. Use Song of Solomon to
compose an essay about a character who responds to cultural collision. Then
write a well-organized essay in which you describe the character’s response and
explain its relevance to the work as a whole.
B. (HOMEWORK GRADE) Create a movie poster (using Microsoft Word, Illustrator,
etc…) depicting the actors or actresses you would chose to play the main
characters in the novel. The poster should also include visual representations
of at least two major symbols or themes within text.
C. (2 QUIZ GRADES) Create a chapter 16 for the novel. It should try to
mirror the author’s style and answer those things that seem to still have us in
question. It should be a minimum of three pages typed using 12 point font and
times new roman (MLA format).
