Compare/Contrast an Aspect of District 9 and Avatar:
Final Exam Essay
(15% of final grade)
English 1302 / Foster
When and Where
You will write this essay in class on your exam date.
How Long?
Minimum of 600 words
What Must I Bring?
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Blue, black, or other dark pen(s). No pencil.

A “blue book” exam booklet.
What Is Optional To Bring?
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One 5x7 notecard with handwritten (not computer printed) notes to help you write this
essay. An outline is fine. The whole essay written in microscopic print is not fine. There
may not be any notes pertinent to the Identification exam section on your notecard. No
information can be scribbled out on your notecard.

A printout of this essay prompt. Printed out on paper.
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White-out or correction tape.
What Is Absolutely Not Allowed?
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Hats, any kind of electronic devices, any additional notes or paper. If I see any of these
items out at any point, I will collect your exam and ask you to leave. You will not be allowed
to return or write further on your exam.

Restroom breaks. Sorry! There’s no way for me to keep you from consulting additional
notes/materials in the bathroom, so be sure to go before the exam. If you have a medical
condition that requires restroom access during the exam period, you must have Disabled
Student Services contact me with an accommodation request prior to the exam.
What to Do
Write a 600+ word essay that compares and/or contrasts one aspect of the two films.

Choose just one thing to discuss in the two films. Examples: 1) how the main character is
constructed in both films, and what that can tell us about the films' message(s) and/or
society; 2) how gender (masculinity or femininity—take on one, not both) is portrayed in
both films, and what that can tell us about the films' message(s) and/or society; how race is
portrayed in both films, and what that can tell us about the films' message(s) and/or
society; how capitalism is portrayed in both films, and what that can tell us about the films'
messages and/or society; how globalization is addressed in both films, and what those
portrayals can tell us about the films' messages and/or society; etc. CHOOSE ONLY ONE. It
doesn't have to be on this list, either.

Use specific details from the films to back up your ideas about what the film is “saying.”
Specific details include things like:
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Plot points and/or plot construction
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Costuming and makeup
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Dialogue
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Camera techniques, camera time, camera angles, what camera emphasizes/de-emphasizes
with framing or focus
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Use of music and sound
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Casting decisions (who is put in what role, and why?)
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Characters' body language
Advice on Writing the Compare/Contrast Essay
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
On Argument
o
Tell me in a thesis statement what aspect you will be covering of the films; whether
you are looking at similarities, differences, or both; and what conclusions you've
drawn about the film's message and/or society from studying this aspect of the
films.
o
Use each body paragraph's topic sentence to let me know what the body paragraph
will discuss, and link that discussion to the thesis statement's arguments about film
message or society.
o
Make sure each body paragraph has evidence (film specifics) and analysis
(explanation of how film specifics show you are right about the film's message
and/or what the film reflects about society)
On Style and Grammar
o


Be sure you use words you are certain you know the meaning of, and sentences that
are clear in what they are arguing. When there is a choice between stating
something simply and clearly or stating it in a fancy way that makes it a bit more
vague, go for simple and clear every time.
On Preparation
o
Pre-write your essay more than once. It will get better each time you do it if you
genuinely try to improve it.
o
Distill it down to an outline of the main arguments and pieces of evidence. This is
the best use of the limited space on your notecard.
On Writing the Exam
o
Don’t try to reproduce your pre-written drafts exactly. Worry about what you
can think up now, not what you can’t currently remember.
o
Leave space between paragraphs for revisions or additions you think up later.
o
Leave time at the end to re-read what you’ve written, edit, and make revisions.
Identification Final Exam Section: Study guide
(5% of final grade)
English 1302 / Foster
This section of the exam will include rhetorical and literary terms and concepts covered this
semester. Be able to identify and define the following:
o
The three rhetorical appeals
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The rhetorical modes
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Kairos
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The parts of the argument essay, including optional parts, and their uses
o
The parts of a body paragraph and their uses
o
Acceptable vs. unacceptable internet sources
o
The following literary terms:
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Simile
o
Metaphor
o
Diction
o
Theme
o
Symbol
o
Irony (dramatic, situational, and verbal)
o
Imagery
o
Characterization
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Tone
o
Rising action
o
Climax
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Denouement
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Point of view
Also know what a basic MLA parenthetical citation should look like, and be able to identify major,
obvious errors in an MLA Works Cited page using the kinds of sources you have used this semester.
This section of the exam is closed book, closed notes. You may not use your notecard for the
Compare/Contrast essay to record information to aid you in the Identification section. If there is
scribbled-out information on your notecard, I will assume it was information for the Identification
section, and you will receive a zero for the entire final exam, both sections.