DATE DUE: BY 5 P.M. , FRIDAY, MARCH 25th VIA EMAIL ( WORD, GOOGLE, PDF, OR COPY & PASTE INTO MESSAGE AREA). NO LATE MIDTERMS ACCEPTED. Check back the next day for receipt or can’t read message. OK to turn in the midterm earlier.
FORMAT: Typed, double-spaced (except for long quotes, which should be indented, single-spaced and documented), proofread. How long should it be? I’m interested in substance, not length. However, your responses should be in essay form rather than catalogue or list or bullet points. Document your work by adding a work cited page. Don’t spend much time retelling the stories–I’ve read them! Use some critical sources along with Griswold. Try to avoid Wikipedia except for initial overview. Avoid online summaries altogether.
DISCUSSION: This midterm covers everything through The Gashleycrumb Tinies. You may add other material, but first you must cover the assigned work.
Choose FOUR QUESTIONS out of the following choices and write a detailed, specific response-essay, using as much of the material as you wish. You must, however, cover every literary text at least once and four of the five concepts from Griswold. You can use critical material and other books to back up your ideas if you wish, but develop your ideas first with material from the assigned texts.
Note: You are writing four separate essay responses. You do not need to cover all of the materials in each essay but, rather, throughout the entire exam. You do not need to repeat the questions in the responses but use the corresponding number. You also do not need a lengthy introduction or conclusion. Make your writing lively and personable; using “I” is OK with me! Use paragraphs! And, of course, avoid plagiarism (which will earn you an automatic F).
SUGGESTION: Make a list of all the books you need to cover and plan your exam like you were choosing items from a menu.
Books that we’ve read:
“The Wizard of Oz”
“Peter Pan”
“The Secret Garden”
CHARLOTTE’S WEB
GOODNIGHT MOON
THE CAT IN THE HAT
Maurice Sendak, “Where the Wild Things Are”
CHOICES:
1. Compare and contrast ONE of our readings with the movie version (except The Wizard of Oz because we talked about the differences in class). Come to some conclusions about what the differences mean (analyze your findings!!!). Don’t retell the stories but interpret your findings in terms of patterns (psychological, sociological, historical, time period, choice of country, etc.).
2. Create an essay about the picture of childhood you get from these classics of 20th century children’s literature and lore. (Lore: games, rhymes, beliefs, etc.—e.g. material from your presentations).
3. Discuss some of the gender issues. What picture(s) do you get of male and female roles? Of marriage? How do the gender issues relate to historical ones (representation, wish-fulfillment, projection, etc.)?
4. Some scholars believe children’s literature and lore teaches lessons about correct behavior. Argue this pro OR con, describing the kinds of lessons, punishment, rewards, behavior, etc.
5. “Let the wild rumpus start!” According to some scholars, children’s literature and lore is actually a subversive genre, where children are heroes, grownups are fools, role reversal is the rule, and chaos–not order–prevails. Argue this pro or con, supporting your ideas with examples.
6. “Children’s lives are not all sweetness and light, despite what grown-ups would like to believe.” (Griswold) Create an essay about the presence of scariness, terror, pain and death in children’s literature and lore.
7. Animals, even talking animals, populate a lot of children’s literature and lore. Discuss the unusual status of animals. Come to some kinds of conclusions about the preponderance and use of animals in children’s literature and lore.
8. “Like talking animals, like animated toys, with these alive things we encounter a conscious universe . . . For the child, the world is a personable place . . .” (Griswold) Create an essay about “aliveness” in children’s literature and lore.
9. “Everything is made out of Magic,” [Colin says] “leaves and trees, flowers and birds, badgers and foxes and squirrels and people. So it must be all around us.” Whether you interpret that statement as make-believe, spirituality, realism or fantasy, or religion—or all of the above–children’s literature and lore is a magical world. Create an essay about this concept, backing it up with examples.
10. One of the striking features of children’s literature and lore is the playfulness of language. Discuss this, using lots of examples.
11. Just because the famous touchstones of children’s literature and lore are part of our history and tradition does not mean they are appropriate for our children today. Argue this pro or con.
