Essay Questions submitted for the ENGL 201 final exam, Fall 2004

Note: The comprehensive questions may or may not come from the few questions submitted here. I think you need more choice.

Compare and contrast Swift's and Austen's satirical methods of getting their views across to society.

In Swift's Modest Proposal, what is he satirizing? What is he satirizing, perhaps to the greatest degree? Discuss his method.

Describe any example of Juvenalian satire present today that might compare with Swift's Modest Proposal.

Is Dr. Johnson's view of Shakespeare consistent with the principles Pope expresses in The Essay on Criticism?

In what ways does Gray's Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard show the kinds of social class changes that took place in the 18th century?

Explain the way the views male characters hold toward female characters, and vice versa, change throughout Pride And Prejudice.

If it is true that "the pursuit of truth is conceived of as a wholly individual matter," how has society in the novel Pride and Prejudice affected the individual's conception of truth?

Explain how facades were used in Pride and Prejudice.

Discuss how appearances and facades seem to play an important role in Pride and Prejudice.

How did counterfeiting in Pride and Prejudice differ from character to character?

List some of the "prides" and "prejudices" of each character in the book Pride and Prejudice and why you think that they were relevant in forming the characters' individual personalities.

What were the differences in the females in Pride and Prejudice?  How were they supposed to act?  Who did and who didn't?

Elizabeth’s ideas on marriage differ from her society’s point of view. How?

In the novel Pride and Prejudice, analyze the argument between Lady Catherine and Elizabeth. What did each woman represent?

In Pride and Prejudice it seems that Jane Austen is writing more for the middle class. How has literature changed during the Restoration Period that has allowed its writers to appeal more to the middle class rather than the upper class that was primarily literature's target in the past?

Explain how Jane Austen used her character Mr. Collins to portray why people were involved in the church.

How did the knowledge learned through the Royal Society's new discoveries affect society? and literature?

Throughout our study of British Literature, the individual has developed a greater degree of narrative and societal  presence. Why or Why not? Discuss the factors that you think led to this [or a different] development. In addition, reference specific works through which this trend can be traced.

How did the influence of the church change during the three different time periods?

Compare and contrast Swift's Christian moralism in his writing with how Chaucer and Milton teach moral lessons in their stories.