Exam #1
ENG 235
Here is the first exam. This is an essay (introduction, body, and conclusion) but it is also a critical essay, meaning you should have an opinion that is stated in a thesis and supported by rest of the essay. Choose one of the following questions to respond to. You should cite from a text or use references to events in the text to support your argument. The paper should be at least three pages, and not use any outside sources; I’ve probably already read them, and I’m more interested in your thoughts.
- “Description of Charles-town” and “What is an American?” – Crevecoeur. Compare and contrast the two essays. How are they similar? How are they different? (5-6 pages reading)
- The children’s story “X” by Lois Gould is one of the most censored children’s books in the United States, (though Canada, oddly, requires it in elementary schools, and has used it to model some of their school procedures, such as unisex bathrooms, girls and boys playing the same the games, etc.). Why do you think “X” (written in 1972) is still so threatening to some people in the United States? (4 pages reading)
- How does gender role reversal create humor in Tracy Egan’s essay, “One Rape Please, (to Go)”?