World Literature
Portfolio Project Option
for Final Exam
“There are only two or three human stories,
and they go on repeating themselves as
fiercely as if they had never happened
before.”
--Willa Cather
Expectations
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The chapter will focus on one motif or theme.
You will include a professional cover page, an
introduction, five “exhibits”, and a final reflections piece
at the end.
Each “exhibit” includes an essay you’ve written along
with supplementary materials that relate to the essay (e.g.
song lyrics, artwork, an excerpt from a novel, etc.)
At least two exhibits include on assigned reading from
class.
Among the exhibits, you will vary the types of essays
you’re writing: analysis, synthesis, compare-contrast,
reaction, evaluation.
See rubric for grading criteria.
Types of essays (exhibits)
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Analysis—separating a whole into smaller components
for individual study
Examples: an analysis of symbolism in The Great Gatsby,
an analysis of themes in Lord of the Rings, an analysis of
the protagonist Okonkwo in Things Fall Apart
NOTE: Plot summary does not belong in an analysis
essay. You will only bring up those aspects of plot that
demonstrate the points you are making in your analysis.
Strong topic sentences will ensure that you are sticking to
analysis, not summary. Make sure each body paragraph
opens with a topic sentence that makes a point about the
work (a point that you will prove with support in the
paragraph).
Types of essays (exhibits)
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Synthesis—combining separate pieces to form a
coherent whole (Using a Venn diagram makes
this process easier.)
Examples: a synthesis essay on four American
poems that deal with death, a synthesis essay on
three contemporary songs that deal with
unhealthy relationships, a synthesis essay on three
philosophers’ views on the nature of reality
Again, strong topic sentences help maintain focus
and higher order thinking.
Types of essays (exhibits)
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Compare/Contrast—examining two works
with the purpose of discovering similarities
and differences
Examples: a compare/contrast essay on the
book The Water Is Wide and the movie
Dead Poets Society, a compare/contrast
essay on two movies that deal with war
Types of essays (exhibits)
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Reaction—discussing your personal
reactions to a work
Examples: a three-paragraph response to
some artwork, two paragraphs on a song
that resonates with you on a personal level
Focus should be balanced—discuss your
reactions but explain how the work itself
brings out those ideas/feelings
Types of essays (exhibits)
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Definition—exploring an abstract concept
through definition, etymology, synonyms,
antonyms, quotations, examples, etc.
Examples: a definition paper on one of the
following: Truth, Existence, Meaning, Power,
Masculinity, etc.
This should be an intelligent discussion focusing
on every facet of the concept, from the smallest
word level to larger philosophical considerations.
Chapter Example: Nature
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Cover Page and
Introduction
Analysis of nature in The
Scarlet Letter
Synthesis of
Transcendentalists’ works
on nature
Compare/Contrast of Into
the Wild and Everett
Ruess’ journals
Reaction to artwork
Synthesis of Japanese
poetry
Reflections
Chapter Example: Insanity
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Cover Page and
Introduction
“Vincent” by Don
McLean—reaction
Plato’s “Cave Parable”
applied to historical
figures
Synthesis of poetry on
madness— Dickinson, etc.
Compare/contrast on two
movies about insanity
Analysis of novel Girl,
Interrupted
Reflections
Things to Remember
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You should include song lyrics, artwork, poems,
and possibly short stories in the portfolio chapter
along with the exhibits so your reader can
examine the works you discuss.
Your portfolio should include a variety of
works—art, music, movies, short stories, poems,
novels, plays, etc. Do NOT go overboard with
movies and songs. You must include literature!
Your portfolio should include a variety of TYPES
of essays (as seen in the previous examples).
Things to Remember
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Essays should all be typed, double-spaced.
While reaction pieces might only take a half page, other
essays should be 2-3 pages each.
Include supporting quotations and specific evidence in
essays.
Use parenthetical references after quotations. Include a
Works Consulted page.
The most weighted grading component will be the quality
of the essays.
Do NOT plagiarize! Students have earned a ZERO on
this project in the past due to plagiarism.
Things to Remember
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Aesthetics is one of the grading criteria. That
means you should make the project pleasing to
the eye. It should look professional, like you
spent some time and effort on it.
Do not, however, confuse superficial appearance
with quality. Making your project “pretty” will
not matter if your essays lack substance.
Things to Remember
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Above all, make this experience personally
rewarding. The best part of this assignment
is that YOU get to choose what to read,
watch, explore, and write about.