Here are some ideas to consider about each story as you prepare for the proctored final.

• In your opinion is Arnold Friend mostly like Satan, the wolf in  “Little Red Riding Hood,” or just a plain criminal or psychopath? Give  examples from “Where Are You Going? Where Have you Been?” to support  your views.
• What is the meaning of the advice  the son gives his father in “The Shawl”? How does this advice heal the  intergenerational trauma experienced by the characters? How is the story  both true about the specific people in the story and about the Native  American experience?
• What are the causes of Gregor Samsa’s alienation and isolation in  The Metamorphosis? What psychological and historical parallels are  there for this story?
• What is the nature of the conflict between Dee/Wangero and Mama in “Everyday Use”? Who is right?
• In “Javi,” what reasons might Javi have for not staying with his  mother? The author comments that he wanted to juxtapose a character who  is beginning his life (Javi) with a character that is near the end of  hers (the painter). What is the insight the reader gains through this  juxtaposition?
• What is the trauma of war as  explored in “The Things They Carried”? How does O’Brien do justice to  the experience of his fellow soldiers through this story?

Here are the instructions you will receive on the day of the exam.  You will see the topics for the essay after these instructions only on  the day of the exam. Please note that the topics will not be the same as  the ones provided for you for study, but that those questions will  prepare you for the exam.

Choose one of the topics below and  respond to it in essay form. Your essay should have a clear introduction  and thesis statement, at least two focused body paragraphs that have  topic sentences, and a conclusion. Support the ideas in the body  paragraphs with specific examples from the stories.

You will have two hours  to complete the exam once you click below. At the end of the two hours,  regardless of whether you have finished, the essay will be submitted.

Remember that the exam allows for no  electronic devices or other aids, unless these are required through an  ACCESS accommodation request. Write your own responses to the questions  and structure them as best as you can within the two-hour limit.

This proctored final essay will be graded according to the following criteria: 

• 20 points – Clearly articulated thesis statement (one or two  sentences that responds to the prompt and gives the paper direction)                 
• 10 points – Clear topic sentences in the body paragraphs                                             
• 35 points – Specific details, discussion, and examples from  the stories in the bodyparagraphs                                                                         
• 35 points – Grammar, mechanics, and style adhere to standard conventions