Study Guide: End of Semester Exam
Short Stories Revision Sheet- Feb-2014:
Reading Comprehension
Antonyms and Synonyms
Vocabulary words
Grammar: Language and Mechanics - Paragraph correction.
Literary Terms:
Plot – Elements: Exposition, Conflict, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, and Resolution/
Denouement.
Conflict – Internal (Happens within a character’s mind) and External (Man Vs. Man, Man Vs.
Society, Man Vs. Nature, and Man Vs. Technology).
Character – Major, Minor, Dynamic, Static, Round, Flat, Protagonist, and Antagonist (Foil).
Characterization
Setting – Time (When happens), Place (Where happens), and Action (What happens).
Theme – Types: Dramatic, Happiness, Ambition, Duty, Beauty, Betrayal, Fear, Freedom,
Loneliness, and Love.
Symbol/Symbolism – Categories: General/Universal/Cultural and Contextual
Types: Metaphor, Simile, Allegory, Archetype, and Myth.
Mood – Developed through: Setting, Theme, Tone, and Diction.
Narrator – Types: First Person, Second Person, and Third Person.
Foreshadowing
Point of View – Types: First Person (Limited, Multiple, and Omniscient), Second Person, and
Third Person.
Example: selects two (Core) and four (Advanced) of the literary terms above, define them
properly and give an example of each from any of the pieces of literature that you studied during
the semester
(You need to be prepared to define and apply any of the covered literary terms and to the covered
Short Stories: “Everyday Use,” “The Possibility of Evil,” and “By the Waters of Babylon.”
Be prepared to write a response to any of the topics below:
1) Writing Prompt: ©
After reading the short story “Everyday Use” answer the following essay questions: What is
the importance of the quilt in the story? What does it represent? What does it mean to
Dee, Mama and Maggie? Do these three women differ from one another in relation to
their perceptions of the quilt? If yes, in what way(s).
2) Writing Prompt: ©
What is the importance of names in the story? For example, what does “Wangero Leewanika
Kemanjo” signify in the story?
Write a three paragraph essay describing the impact that has on your experience as a reader.
3) Writing Prompt: Write a 250-350 words essay responding to the following writing prompt:
Compare and Contrast Writing: @

Compare and contrast the characters of Maggie, Dee/Wangero, and Mrs. Johnson in
"Everyday Use." Which sister do you think is most like their mother and why? Which
character or characters do you think represent southern Black culture? Identify the physical
descriptions of the three women in the story. Make a list of their personality traits. Then
discuss what each of these women could symbolize in the story. Cite examples from the text
to support your arguments.