English 12
Final Exam
Mrs. Crawford
Please answer one of the following questions in a thorough, well-structured, and persuasive
fashion. Your response may be organized in whatever format you feel will best support your
argument (multi-paragraph essay, 5-paragraph, etc.). Be sure, however, that your response begins
with an arguable thesis statement.
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Part of your exam grade will be determined by an outline that you must create before
beginning to write your response(s). This outline must identify how you will respond to
the prompt and show evidence of thoughtful pre-writing. Attach this outline to the
finished essay.
1. One of the central themes of Khaled Hosseini’s Kite Runner is redemption. What did Rahim
Khan mean when he said to Amir, “there is a way to be good again”? Trace the theme of
redemption throughout the novel: how does Hosseini use this theme to provide an arch for his
protagonist? Was it important for Amir to redeem himself? Are we always able to reconcile with
past mistakes or past human rights abuses?
2. In Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell suggests that success is not a factor of luck, but a product of
environment, opportunity, and cultural legacy. Identify one of his claims, and support or refute it
with information synthesized from at least three secondary sources.
3. "The true test of comedy is that it shall awaken thoughtful laughter," explains author George
Meredith. Explain how one or more scenes of Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest”
awakens "thoughtful laughter" in the reader. Write an essay in which you show why this laughter
is "thoughtful" (in this case satirizing the upper class or human nature in general) and how it
contributes to the central meaning of the work.