Literary Theory Exam Preparation

Exam Review Tips

• Understand major historical events and their significance.
• Remember the theorists and their theories.
• Practice daily and manage time effectively.
• Gather exam information from the professor.
• Plan study time.
• Review knowledge.
• Schedule a final review session.
• Create a suitable study environment.
• Practice regularly.

Exam Topics to Study

• Equity 101: Understanding Equity
• Prejudice
• Privilege
• Oppression
• Dangerous isms and phobias
• Implicit and unconscious bias
• Understanding common body language
• Systemic racism
• Racism
• Microaggressions
• Literary theory
• Superiority
• Amygdala hijack
• Allyship/co-conspirator
• Short stories
• Annotations
• Comparative essays

Exam Format

• Section 1: Multiple-choice questions (30 marks)
  • 30 questions
• Section 2: Poem analysis (10 marks)
  • Task: Annotate and analyze a poem by a Black author.
• Section 3: Short-answer questions (30 marks)
  • 3 questions
  • 10 marks per question

Equity 101: Understanding Equity

• Empathy: Recognizing biases, prejudices, and stereotypes in oneself and others.
• Privilege: A special right or advantage granted to a select group or person.
• Got privilege: People always pronounce your name correctly, without fear or consideration.
• Sexuality: Your sexuality has never been considered scary, offensive or misunderstood
• Public Buildings: You do not need to check public buildings to see if they have elevators or other necessary accommodations.
• Travel: You travel around the world with little fear of sexual assault;
• Oppression: Using power or privilege for personal benefit, while disadvantaging others systematically or individually.
• Dangerous Isms: Ageism, Ableism, Sexism, Homophobia, Islamophobia.
• Prejudice: Prejudgment or preconceived notions about another person or group.
• Implicit/unconscious bias: Attitudes or stereotypes that affect understanding.

Section 4: Comparative Essay

• Task: Write a comparative essay on two short stories from the course.

Literary Elements

• First Person: "I" - The protagonist tells the story directly.
• Second Person: "You" - The author speaks directly to the reader.
• Third Person: The author uses "he," "she," or "it" to tell the story.
• Limited Omniscient: The thoughts and feelings of only one character are revealed.
• Character Foil: A character whose traits contrast with the protagonist.
• Stereotype: A character representing expected traits of a group, rather than an individual.
• Flat Character: A character with one or few traits.
• Round Character: A fully developed character with various traits.
• Static Character: A character that doesn't change throughout the story.
• Dynamic Character: A character that undergoes a significant change.
• Character-against-self: Internal conflicts within a character.
• Character-against-character: The protagonist against another character.
• Character-against-society: The protagonist against societal values.
• Character-against-nature: The protagonist against a natural element.
• Omniscient: The narrator knows everything about the story, including the thoughts and feelings of all characters.

Literary Devices

• Verbal Irony: Saying one thing but meaning another.
• Situational Irony: The expected outcome does not happen.
• Dramatic Irony: The audience knows something that the characters do not.
• Theme: The main idea or message in a literary work
• Conflict: The struggle between opposing forces in a story.
• Internal Conflict: A struggle within a character.
• External Conflict: A struggle between a character and an outside force.
• Characterisation: How authors reveal characters' traits.
• Metaphor: Comparing two dissimilar things without using "like" or "as."
• Simile: A comparison using "like" or "as."
• Allegory: A story with symbolic representation.
• Imagery: Vivid descriptions to create a sensory experience
• Anachronism: Something that is out of place in time.
• Hyperbole: An exaggerated statement.
• Pun: A play on words.
• Symbolism: Using symbols to represent ideas or qualities.
• Diction: The choice of words to create tone and meaning.
• Tone: The attitude of the author toward the subject.
• Mood: The emotional atmosphere created.
• Foreshadowing: Hints of future events.
• Flashback: A scene that takes place earlier than the main story.
• Suspense: A feeling of tension and anticipation.

How to Annotate

• Understanding Stress: Identifying stressed and unstressed syllables in words.
• Meter: The pattern of stresses in a line of poetry.
• Common Types of Feet: iamb, trochee, anapest, dactyl, spondee.
• Naming the Meter: Identifying the number of feet in a line
• Special Meter Features: Masculine vs Feminine Endings, Elision, Substitutions

Literary Theory

• Formalism: Focuses on structure, style, and form within text.
• Historical/Biographical: Examines author's life and historical context.
• Marxist: Analyzes economic and class issues.
• Feminist: Explores gender roles and representation of women.
• Psychoanalytic: Using Freudian theory for character analysis.
• Postcolonial: Studying the effects of colonialism.
• Structuralism: Analyzing literary structure and language.
• Archetypal Theory: Identifying universal elements and patterns.