USD Ada Limon Poems Analysis and Bernadine Evaristo Chapters Analysis Discussion
Answer TWO of the following questions, one essay per answer. (Please note that you are to answer 1 or 2, then 3 or 4. No one should submit 1 and 2 or 3 and 4 for their exam.) Each essay should be a minimum of 500 words long. You should only use the texts (including the items in Files), your notes and thoughts on lecture and discussion. No outside sources are required or permitted. Essays that attempt to pass off material from websites or any other non-sanctioned source (that is, anything besides your notes from lecture, discussion, and the texts) will be subject to discipline as instances of academic dishonesty. In practice, this means you will receive a 0 on the exam and your exam will be referred to the Judicial Procedures Office for further academic sanctions. Receiving a 0 on any exam virtually guarantees failure in the course. Late exams are subject to a full letter grade penalty per day late (so anything turned in on Tuesday is one letter grade lower, any time Wednesday is two letter grades lower, etc.). First essay: Answer EITHER 1 or 2.1. Consider the poems by Ada Limón assigned for class reading, then consider the following statement: "Ada Limón's poems that we have read are written from a similar point of view. That is to say, the speakers of the poems share a roughly similar intersectional identity." Do you agree? (In your answer, you might do well to think hard about the bodies of the various speakers of the poems, so far as we can know about them from the texts of the poems. Also, please remember that the poet is NOT the speaker. The question is asking about the poems and the speakers of the poems, NOT Ada Limón.)2. Consider Evelynn Kleinman's essay on the word 'bitch' in Files, then consider the following statement: "Kleinman's argument means that poems like Ada Limón's poem "Service" are, at a best, a charming mistake—at worst, they contribute to the oppression of women." (To answer this question, you have to talk about the article as well as the poem "Service.")Second essay: Answer EITHER 3 or 4.3. In the chapters of Bernardine Evaristo's Girl, Woman, Other that we have read, the question of privilege and how much some people enjoy in society compared to others, is a central concern. Which chapter does a better job of dramatizing the issue of privilege: "Yazz" or "Megan / Morgan"? (You need to talk about both chapters in your answer.)4. Intersectionality is a key idea throughout Evaristo's novel. Which chapter does a better job of dramatizing the challenges of intersectionality: "Yazz" or "Megan / Morgan"? (You need to talk about both chapters in your answer.)Please note, the exam is graded on content, not form. I'd prefer you to write clear, grammatical prose, but I am focused on the content primarily. While I don't insist on your using quotes from the texts, the fact that you have all weekend to write the exam and you have the texts at your fingertips suggests that good essays are going to refer in detail to the texts, if not quote them outright. I don't need fancy citation techniques. Just give me the page number in parentheses, like so (25) for the article or the chapters in the novel. For the poems, you don't even need to do that. Counterarguments are not required, but they are encouraged as useful ways to add depth and nuance to your answers. If you have any questions, feel free to drop me an email. Good luck!
