The outline for two essays

GERM 1025/1026 Final Exam

Date and Time: Friday, December 7, from 3:30-6:30

Location: Dalplex

The exam consists of you writing two essay responses to the following questions. As you will see, the questions deal with a theme, a theme that you are asked to create a clear, specific thesis about and discuss in relation to two of the works that we have discussed in class. I would like you to discuss two works per essay, and my hope is that over the course of the two essays you will have discussed all three of the texts. For example, in one essay you might discuss Remarque and Brecht, and in another you might discuss Remarque and Schnitzler, etc. Some of these responses will inevitably become compare and contrast in structure; when it comes to such essays, structure your paper in terms of ideas rather than simply discussing one work for half the essay and another work for the other half.

As with your previous essays, you must use proper essay structure: a clear introductory paragraph that closes with a specific, strong thesis; paragraphs organized around specific topics that use topic sentences, that support your thesis, and that are structured in a clear, logical way; evidence from the text that supports your thesis and/or supporting points; and, finally, a strong conclusion that reiterates your thesis, shows how it was illustrated, and suggests its wider implications.  

For the exam, you can use your three books by Schnitzler, Brecht, and Remarque. During the previous test (Essay 2) there were some students who, lacking their books, had a single sheet with the quotations that they planned to use for illustrating their points. You can do the same for this, but this will be checked during the course of the exam. When it does come to preparing, I would recommend that you establish your thesis statements, that you establish 3-4 argumentative points per essay that can serve as your paragraphs and help to support those thesis statements, and that you already find the relevant passages that you will use for support in your essays. In other words, you can bring in a sheet that contains 4-5 sentences per essay, or 8-10 in total. This sheet will be checked during the course of the exam, and it must be handed in with your exam booklet.    

As with the previous test, points will be gained or lost on the basis of how you use the texts to support your argument. When it comes to quoting from the text in the test, shorter passages can be quoted in their entirety, while longer passages can be quoted with the first few words, an ellipsis, and then the last words, e.g. “The silence spreads. I talk and talk .... will always come back and stand before me” (Remarque 164-65). If you use the editions of the texts that we have been using in class, then you do not need to include the publication information at the end of the exam booklet; however, if you do use other texts, online or in print, then you must include their publication information (you will lose points if you do not).

Just to reiterate, you can bring your novels and the play (or a sheet with your quotes if need be, a sheet that will be checked during the test) and a single sheet containing your thesis statements and topic sentences for the two essays. I will not be printing off copies of these questions for the exam, but please feel free to print off your own copy and bring it in on the day of the exam if you would like. Some students have requested the use of dictionaries for language reference, and this is acceptable. Laptops and phones are not allowed during the test; if either are out during the test, your test will be taken away and you will receive a zero.

As always, please let me know if you have any questions.

1. Discuss the themes of truth and deceit in two of the works that we have covered in class.

2. Discuss the nature of love and hate in two of the works that we have covered in class.

3. Discuss the nature of hope and despair in two of the works that we have covered in class.

4. Discuss the problems of morality and immorality in two of the works that we have covered in class.

5. Discuss the importance of setting in two of the works that we have covered in class.

6. Discuss the nature of hierarchy in two of the works that we have covered in class.

7. Discuss the contrasts between idealism and disillusionment in two of the works that we have covered in class.

8. Discuss two of the works that we have covered in class as a Bildungsroman, or a novel outlining the spiritual and/or intellectual maturation of a single character.

9. Discuss how the nature of the mind is explored in two of the works that we have covered in class.

10. Discuss the contrast between how we seem and who we are in two of the works that we have covered in class.