Answering questions
Midterm, ENGL 2130, Summer 2024
Directions:
For your midterm exam, answer four of the five following questions.
Please type your answers and upload them as a Word Document (.docx) into the assignment link in
your Week 5 folder. Please note, I will not be able to grade any Midterm that is not attached as a
document—do NOT type your answers in the submissions box.
Due Date:
All exams are due no later than Sunday, June 16, at midnight.
Unless you have spoken directly to me and were granted permission, I will not accept late submissions.
Grade Breakdown:
I will grade each of your answers based on the following criteria:
25%– grammar/punctuation/format
25%–the content you produce (how well you answer the question)
50% –how well you use textual evidence to support your answer
Midterm Questions:
Mark Twain:
Jim Smiley is a character of questionable ethical and moral standards. He makes a living gambling on
animals—however, his bets are usually “sure things” because he spends his spare time training his
animals to perform. Is what Jim Smiley does cheating or is it just a smart way to gamble? In 8-10
sentences, construct an answer to this question that uses textual evidence to support your point of view.
Charlotte Perkins Gilman:
On page 486 of your textbook, the narrator of “The Yellow Wallpaper” remarks “John laughs at me, of
course, but one expects that in marriage.” What is Gilman saying about marriage by including this
quote? Additionally, how does this quote establish the tone of the relationship between John and the
narrator for the remainder of the story? Construct an 8-10 sentence response to this question that uses
textual evidence to support your point of view.
Jack London:
The narrator in “To Build a Fire” says, “The trouble with him was that he was without imagination. He
was quick and alert in the things of life, but only in the things, and not in the significances” What does
this mean? Is it a problem?
Construct an 8-10 sentence response to this question that uses textual evidence to support your point of
view.
Zora Neale Hurston:
In Zora Neale Hurston’s “Sweat,” Delia faces numerous challenges in her life, particularly in her abusive
relationship with her husband, Sykes. Using evidence from the text, answer the following questions: In
what ways does Sykes’ treatment of Delia symbolize the larger issue of racism and gender inequality in
the story? Why does Delia keep the abuse she is suffering from Sykes a secret? What is the impact of
this secrecy on her character and the story as a whole? Explain your answer to these questions in an 8-10
sentence response using textual evidence.
Ernest Hemingway:
This is a classic “Hemingway iceberg story,” with more going on than what first appears on the surface.
The wife lists out several material items she wants–what do you think she is really longing for, though?
What does the “cat in the rain” symbolize? Construct an 8- 10 sentence response to this question that
uses textual evidence to support your point of view.
Extra Credit Opportunity:
You may receive up to 10 extra credit points for properly answering ONE of the following questions:
Re-read the section of Part 3 in Bierce’s “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” beginning with “As he
rose to the surface” and ending with “A whiz and rattle of grapeshot among the branches high above his
head roused him from his dream.” What do you notice about the sequence of events? What is Bierce’s
purpose in the way he tells this part of the story? In 8-10 sentences, construct an answer to this question
that uses textual evidence to support your point of view.
Ernest Hemingway’s short story, “Cat in the Rain” sets up the hotel keeper and George as foil
characters. How are these two characters different in terms of their character and actions? Construct an
8-10 sentence response to this question that uses textual evidence to support your point of view.
