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Midterm exam

Dr. Manuel F. Medina
ML 260
Spring 2021

Midterm Exam
Date: Thursday, March 11

The Midterm exam (worth 20% of the final grade) will be synchronous online. It will be posted on Teams on Thursday March 11 at 2:15 p.m. with a 4:00 p.m. submission deadline.

EXAM: worth 20% of the final grade

Format:

1. Four (4) of six (6) short answers about the short stories, films and novel. (10 points each, 40% grade)
e.g., "One of These Days" is whose's story?" Defend your answer.
What is "The South"'s basic conflict? Defend yor answer.

2. One (1) essay. (60 points each; 60% grade)
Use an essay traditional structure: 1. introduction where you present a thesis statement, 2. arguments and 3. conclusion where you summarize the main points.
Sample question: "Explore the representation of Colombia during "La Violencia" as depicted by the narrators in “One of These Days” and “Just Lather. That’s All.”

What would the exam cover?

Prepare answers to the questions of analysis (see website for a copy). The section one of the exam questions will come from that list as they apply to each story, or novel we have studied in class until now:

Short Stories and articles:
• García Márquez, Gabriel: “One of These Days”
  Téllez, Hernando. “Just Lather. That’s All.”
  
  To answer the questions on “La Violencia” as a social and political background for the stories listed above read the following: LaRosa, Michael, and Mejía P Germán. “La Violencia” Colombia: A Concise Contemporary History, ONLY pp.93-95 & 106.



• Bombal, María Luisa. “The Tree.”
  Castellanos, Rosario. ”Cooking Lesson"
  
  To answer questions on the role of women in Latin America read PAGES 155-157 from the following article: Barton, Jonathan R. “5. Communities of Poverty, Bodies of Power.” A Political Geography of Latin America.



• Borges, Jorge Luis. “The Circular Ruins"
• Borges, Jorge Luis. “The South"

Films:
NOTE: Make sure to use the "Questions of analysis" as a study guide.
• Los colores de la montaña (The Colors of the Mountain), (Carlos César Arbeláez, Colombia, 2010),
  (Questions of Analysis for The Colors of the Mountain.)
• También la lluvia/Even the Rain, (Icíar Bollaín, Spain, 2010)
  (Questions of Analysis for Even the Rain)

Read the article "Who Controls the Water?" Environmental Justice in Latin America: Problems, Promise, and Practice.Edited by David Carruthers, MIT Press, 2008. 287-319 (notes 313-319) to answer the question on the social, political and economical context in the film.

Novel:

• Álvarez, Julia. In the Time of the Butterflies