Any topic (writer’s choice)

The test consists of you writing one essay response to the following themes.  As you will see, the themes are broad, so a big part of your response involves you creating a clear, specific thesis about the theme you have chosen.  I would like you to discuss the theme and pursue the thesis in relation to two of the works that we have discussed in class.  And so, I would like you to discuss two to three texts for the essay.  I would like one of these texts to be Chekhovs Uncle Vanya.  As we did more than one work by Tolstoy, your range is a bit more open in regards to what you can choose from him.

Here are the themes:

Power and Powerlessness
The Corruption of Society
Political vs. Artistic Commitment
The Real and the Unreal
The Supernatural
Love and Hatred
Love and the Abuse of Love
Life and Death
The Role of Class
The Family
Morality and Immorality
Mortality and Immortality
Belief and Nihilism
Justice and Injustice
Literature and History
City vs. Country
Nostalgia

For example, you might look at the theme of nostalgia in Oblomovs Dream and in The Death of Ivan Ilyich or you might look at the nature of love in Turgenev and Chekhov, etc.  Some of these responses will inevitably be compare and contrast in structure; when it comes to such essays, structure your paper in terms of ideas instead of discussing one work for half the essay and another work for the other half. As with your previous essays, you must use proper essay structure:  a clear introductory paragraph that closes with a specific, strong thesis; paragraphs organized around topics that support your thesis and that are structured in a clear, logical way; a sense of transition from point to point; evidence from the text that supports your thesis and/or supporting points; and, finally, a strong conclusion.

For the essay, you should use your books, as I would like you to quote directly from the primary texts.  As with previous essays, points will be gained or lost on the basis of how you use the texts to support your argument. Be sure to include the bibliographic information for the texts (print or online) that you have used at the end of the essay.