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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. According to Goethe, "life devoid of passion" is ___________.

2. Interpretation is important in language because it can affect ______________.

3. Who believed that linguists have the ability to help others speak, read, and understand never seen before words and sentence structures?

4. Culler reports that theory has the ability to undo which of the following?

5. According to Culler, what do literary theorists work to expose in literature?

Short Essay Questions

1. According to Chapter 3, how have cultural studies expanded the literary canon?

2. What does literary theory work to uncover, according to Chapter 1?

3. Why is theory a difficult subject from which to obtain an absolute, according to Culler?

4. In Chapter 3, what are the two topics on which cultural studies and literary theory attempt to compromise?

5. According to Chapter 4, "Meaning and Interpretation," what does society have to do with the understanding of words?

6. When was literature used in Britain to control the masses?

7. Why is there concern that cultural study may surpass literary theory?

8. Does pop culture change the relevance of classical literature?

9. What was the theme of Goethe's work as discussed in "Chapter 1, What is Theory"?

10. According to Chapter 2, why was it significant that many works of English literature allowed the low class worker to surpass the aristocrat?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explain the five points of literature, citing specific examples to illustrate each point.

Essay Topic 2

Create an argument either supporting or refuting the following statement, citing examples from the text: Linguists argue that the very use of words can change the interpretation of a text based on who is reading it.

Essay Topic 3

The use of the individual or the "I" as a focal point in literature causes alarm for some theorists, as some of them feel that the focus on the individual detracts from potential influence on a group mentality. Write an essay arguing for or against this concern, citing examples from the text.

(see the answer keys)

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