Final Exam Review
Overview
Literature
Unit 1 Native American (myth)
Unit 2 Enlightenment/Revolutionary
Unit 3 Puritan
Unit 4 Romanticism
Unit 5 ISM’s (Realism, Naturalism, Modernism)
Unit 6 ANTHEM
Specifics on Literature
Lit. Unit 1
Native American:
Lit. Unit 2
Puritan:
Lit. Unit 3
Revolutionary:
“The World on Turtle’s Back”
“Coyote and the Buffalo”
“Coyote and Fox and Whale”
4 functions of myth (given the functions, you must find examples in unfamiliar works)
Cause and effect
Attributes of trickster tales and trickster heroes
“To My Dear and Loving Husband”
“Upon the Burning of Our House”
“Huswifery”
“Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”
Puritan themes (p. 293 definition of theme)
Tenets of Puritanism
Patrick Henry’s “Speech to the Virginia Convention”
Benjamin Franklin’s “Speech in the Constitutional Convention”
Persuasive Rhetoric p. 260-261
o Logical appeals
o Emotional appeals
o Ethical appeals
o Appeal to authority
o allusion
o antithesis
o parallel structure
o rhetorical question
o repetition
o restatement
o self-deprecating comments/humor
o concession to the opposition
Lit. Unit 4
Romanticism: “Self-Reliance”
“Nature”
“Walden”
Saints at the River
attributes of Romanticism
characterization
For the “Idealistic” Eras, consult that three-columned chart that compares the world-views of the eras.
Lit. Unit 5
ISM’s:
“A Wagner Matinee”
“The Yellow Wallpaper”
“To Build a Fire”
“In a Far Country”
“The Killers”
“Wandering”
o See your ISM’s handout for Realism, Naturalism, and Modernism; it is
comprehensive.
Lit. Unit 6
Anthem
Be able to explain how we can see elements of every literary era in this novella’s
presentation of Ayn Rand’s personal philosophy, Objectivism.
Essay Question for the Final Exam
The essay question for the Final Exam will be worth 30 points, with the remaining 70 points being comprised of
objective questions in multiple choice and/or matching format. You SHOULD prepare mentally for this essay
before the exam, but you MAY NOT bring anything written to the exam.
The prompt is as follows:
Pulling from the philosophies of the eras of American literature we've discussed, create your own world view:
Name it. (for ex., Grantism)
Provide at least six attributes of your philosophy compiled from at least four eras of American literature
we've discussed. (In other words, tell what issues your world view is concerned with.)

Describe an ideal citizen adhering to your created world view. Do this by using
illustrations from characters we've studied. For example:
Grantism
Tenets of Grantism:
1. adheres to the optimism of the Romantic era
2. adheres to the appreciation of nature of the Romantic era
3. adheres to the industriousness of the Enlightenment
4. adheres to the desire for knowledge of the Enlightenment
5. adheres to the desire for spiritual growth of the Puritans
6. adheres to the Realists’ acceptance of the limits of logical and social reality in our attempt to achieve ideals
7. refutes the determinism of Naturalism
8. refutes the nihilism of the Modernist
An ideal proponent of Grantism would have the desire for spiritual growth displayed in Edward Taylor's
persona in "Huswifery" when he asks God to use him utterly to do His Will. An ideal proponent of Grantism
would seek and use knowledge for the betterment of mankind, while maintaining a respect for the natural world.
An adherent of Grantism would appreciate the duality of wilderness, its fragility and its power, by seeking to
limit man’s impact upon areas of the planet that would require unnatural damage to the environment to sustain
human life. Luke from Saints at the River would be a good model for this ideal in that he was well-read and
took a stand when man's needs infringed upon nature's needs unnecessarily. The recovery of Ruth Kowalsky's
body could have been achieved without harm to the river by having waited to retrieve her until after spring thaw
when the river's flow would have been reduced significantly enough to weaken the hydraulic naturally. Such an
application of knowledge and logic would show compassion for both man and nature. Grantism’s optimistic
outlook would preclude the determinism and nihilism of the adherents of Naturalism and Modernism, reflecting
the faith of the Puritans that “my father made me for a purpose”(Sonny in I, Robot). Grantists would be moved
by faith to cultivate relationships that encourage others in their unique struggles to make choices that would
enable them to live lives of meaning and integrity. Finally, a Grantist would need the Puritans’ humility and
their faith in a Supreme Justice in order to cope with the reality of occasional disappointments in his efforts to
achieve such lofty goals on this side of Paradise.