American Studies
Essay Exams Two, Part one. Short Answer Questions
Please answer all the following questions. Be sure to read all three pages of this
prompt. Citations (including pagination or location information) are expected for
all questions followed by the words “Citation Required.” The maximum response
should be ½ page single spaced. There is no minimum, but be sure to answer the
question thoroughly.
1. In Danesi’s reading on Advertising you read a list of “tactics” used by
advertisers for “persuasion.” Choose one from that list and define it. Then,
find a modern ad that conforms to that definition. (You can cut and paste it
directly into your exam.) Citation Required
2. According to Jon Mitchell, who is the “trinity of delinquency” in Rebel
Without a Cause? And what do they represent? Citation Required
3. According to Doyle Greene, what is the “great contradiction of I Love Lucy?”
Why is it such a contradiction, in his opinion? Citation Required
4. Daniel Bernardi refers to Star Trek’s liberal humanist agenda as
“exceedingly inconsistent and at times disturbingly contradictory.” How is
this evident in the famous kiss from the episode we screened in class? Be
sure to properly describe the scene, and clarify how what you see in the
episode reflects your response. Citation Required
5. According to Thomas Caldwell, what are the “two types” of parasites
evident in Aliens? How does the scene that begins at 1:45 reflect that
assertion? Citation Required- Reading and Film
Essay Exams Two, Part two: Essay Response
Please answer the prompt below in a minimum 750-word exam. Be sure to
include proper citations for your readings, and minute marks for the evaluation of
scenes in the film. Without minute marks for the film I can’t watch the scenes you
intend to discuss.
By now you’ve learned quite a bit about the culture, feelings and experiences of
many Americans in the 1960s. As you know, there was a lot going on in that
decade, both politically and culturally. For this essay you will be evaluating one of
the most famous films of that era: Night of the Living Dead. While not as
frightening as modern iterations of the zombie film, this is the one that ignited
the American love of zombies.
One of the assertions I made in lecture is that the scariest part of the zombie film
often isn’t the zombies – it’s the “regular” people that survivors must encounter
and deal with during the zombie apocalypse. Similarly, in our reading for that
week, you learned that “what is remarkable about so many zombie movies is that
survivors of the plague/accident/alien invasion that caused the infection do so
little to distinguish themselves from the zombies.” This isn’t accidental; zombie
films are supposed to make you question yourself, society, and even your
government. After reviewing your notes for readings, lecture, and film, answer
the following prompt:
How does Romero’s film reflect the assertion that non-zombies are as bad as, if
not worse than, the zombies themselves? Choose two scenes for your
evaluation, and clarify why these characters are designed to make us question
ourselves/society/government.
You should be citing the text, and the film. When citing the film, be sure to
include minute marks so I can also watch those scenes. You are also welcome to
utilize any of our lecture materials or the readings that have been assigned for the
1960s materials in class.
Things to remember for these assignments:
• The due date for this exam is April 10th by 11:55pm
• A word count must be posted at the end the essay, before a works cited page.
Some of you have not been doing this. In a 300-level class there are
requirements regarding the amount of work you do, and this is how I make
sure you are meeting those requirements.
• Titanium will only accept a single submission per student, so be sure to save
both essays as a single document before you upload.
• As this is a 300-level class, proper citation of your texts is required. Some of
you have been asking me how much citation to include – one or two short
citations per reading is fine for the short answer questions, a bit more is okay
for the essay, but make sure I can see your own evaluation of the materials as
well.
• It is your responsibility to make sure that your document is uploaded to the
Turnitin link in a format that is acceptable. Double check your document by
clicking on the link (after you have uploaded it) and looking at your actual
document itself.
Okay everyone – if you have any questions regarding the assignment or the
lecture materials, feel free to email me.
