Underworld Exam Preview

A burst of pre-holiday kindness has prompted me to post the following preview of tomorrow's exam.

On separate pieces of lined paper, write short answers to four of the following five questions. You must answer question A. Be as specific as possible and make a point of interpreting individual phrases and sentences from within the text.

Demonstrate your ability to do close readings of passages in which you are attentive to details, but don’t lose sight of the ‘big picture’—i.e., how a passage works within the novel as a whole.

Take 10–15 minutes up front to outline your four responses on the back of this sheet. Then, spend the remaining hour (approximately 20 minutes/question) writing your essays. Turn in this sheet with your exam. Write legibly. If I can’t read your handwriting, you’ll lose points.

A. First, explain the theoretical difference between a text’s meaning and a text’s significance. Then, briefly discuss two episodes from Underworld in which this distinction between meaning and significance is particularly relevant. In your discussion of these episodes make sure to explain (1) whether the distinction is implicit or explicit and (2) why the distinction is crucial to our understanding of the episode.

*** Answer three of the following four questions***
Sorry, but I'm not going to tell you everything that'll be on the exam. I will give you these final tips for last-minute studying.

1. Reread DeLillo's "The Power of History" essay. Be able to explain concisely, in your own words, how DeLillo understands the connection between fiction and history. What does DeLillo mean by counterhistory? Flag passages from the novel that allow you to explain the connection.

2. Check back over your notes on affect, be able to define this term in your own words so that you can identify and discuss particularly affective passages from the novel. Flag passages from Underworld in which sensory experiences are foregrounded.

3. Before each section/chapter of the novel jot down phrases in shorthand that remind you of the key scenes or events that occur in it. Doing this will enable you to navigate through the novel efficiently so that you can quickly locate passages that you want to discuss in your answers. (You'll also be able to use these notes on the take-home portion of the exam and your final paper).

4. Reflect upon how time functions in the novel. Pay particular attention to the way the different sections flash forward and backwards in time. An awareness of how DeLillo structures our experience of time and temporality throughout the novel will enhance your ability to discuss the significance of events. Why? Well, in general, the order in which we learn about different events (especially secrets) impacts the effect that connected events have upon us when we read about them.

5. Relax. If you've read the novel, taken notes during class and followed the advice I've been giving over the past few weeks, you'll do great.

6. Get plenty of sleep. You'll perform better tomorrow because of it.