World Literature - Free Paper with Test Questions and Answers

1. "At fifteen I stopped scowling, I desired my dust to be mingled with yours forever and forever and forever." This is quote is from the letter written by Ezra Pound, "The River-Merchant's Wife".In this quote, a wife is speaking describing how she first felt when she got married. The quote shows how the young wife had settled in the marriage. The wife had commitments to his husband.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Order now

2. "So be it. I shall go away to live in the forest, wearing matted hair and barkcloth garments, to safeguard the promise of the king." This is Rama responding to Kaikeyi's words in "The Ramayana of Valmik" written by Valmiki, Sheldon I. Pollock. Rama wanted to show respect to their king by going to the forest as it was required of him.

3. "But he would say nothing. He wondered if his father had long ago known what was happening and said nothing. He could remember his terror very well, and the memory told him that he was hardly the one to reprove others who strayed from the narrow path." This is a quote from Traditional Japanese Literature edited by Haruo Shirane. This was Genji wondering if his father had known what was going on between him, princes and his sick wife.

4. "Who hath displaced my bed? The task was hard e'en to an artist; other than a God; none might with ease remove it; as for man, it might defy the stoutest in his prime of youth, to heave it to a different spot."

5. "I doubt that I have much longer to live. Indeed, I have my doubts about getting through this year if I pretend that no changes are needed. It would make me very happy if you let me do what I have so long wanted to do." This is a quote from Traditional Japanese Literature, which was edited by Haruo Shirane. This is words spoken by Murasaki, she was aging and had little hopes of living longer.

6. "Go, nurse, prepare his bed, but not within the walls of his chamber built with his own hands. Spread it without, and spread it well with warm mantles, with fleeces, and with richest rugs." This quotes if from The Poetical Works of William Cowper. Penelope is expressing how she was feeling by making a quote from Ulysses words.

7. "My heart, which I control, was always devoted to you. However, I was helpless. What could I have done regarding my body, which was in the power of another?"

8. "It is so late that the dew soaks my gauze stockings." This is a quote from The Jewel Stairs' Grievance written by LI PO. The author is talking about the as a court woman who is complaining.

9. "Since, however, your virtue is now in doubt, your presence has become as unbearable to me as a bright lamp to a man afflicted with a disease of the eye." This is from the Rama's reunion with his wife in Ramayana written by Brown Cloud. Rama expresses mistrust in his longtime lover.

10. "Our souls belong together . . . Like this gold and this shell-" this is a quote from Don's Nam written by Franklin D. Rast. The author expresses how tough it was in Vietnam during the war through a short emotional poem.

Section 2 Short Essay

1. Compare/contrast the reunion of Odysseus and Penelope with the reunion of Rama and Sita, in regards to the central motif of the course (how we treat those who differ from ourselves).

The Odyssey and epic poem text written by Homer is an overview of Odysseus' homeward voyage and his return to his home. In spite of the fact that Odysseus is portrayed to return home, Reunion by Gluck outlines the details of his return to by clearly stating the duration he had spent away, i.e. 20 years. The gathering that Odysseus and Penelope had tried to show the art of reunion the way it works in a modern day. The way Gluck portrays the reunion is a simple and easy going way while Homer ends up portraying it as a more realistic reunion of Odysseus and Penelope's. Additionally, Homer portrays how Penelope's shows her disbelief of the reunion between her and Odysseus. She shows her doubt that her husband is still alive and kicking and that he has arrived home well. There are also differences in the two texts, for instance, Reunion shows a symbolic appeal of the return of Odysseus and anticipation of his wife that he was going to kill the men who had taken over his kingdom and who were trying to snatch him his wife. According to (Gluck, ll. 1-3), "When Odysseus has returned at last/unrecognizable to Ithaca and killed/ the suitors swarming the throne room" shows that Penelope anticipates for revenge. Homer tries to communicate about the positive part of the return and concentrates more on showing how Penelope was in disbelief of the arrival of his husband. Homer focuses on re-union only. Notwithstanding the fact that Reunion provides the reader with background information, it mostly makes the reader create a notion of revenge when Gluck pays more attention to the anticipation of Penelope on revenge.

2. Discuss the relationship of Genji and Murasaki (the character, not the author). Touch on how their relationship relates to the course motif, but you may make other points as well, for example how their relationship is determined in part by their culture.

Genji and Murasaki show intimacy and a strong desire in each other in a way that shows the historical connection of Genji's father and the look of Murasaki who resembles his mother. For that matter, Genji ends up loving his fiancee Murasaki for all the reasons he has been told about the demise of his mother. The ultimate glory that Genji is engulfed by incurs a turning point to the point that his world tends to scrumble around him. The motifs of the story around Genji and Murasaki revolves around the theme of forgiveness, leniency, and persistence for the desires of the heart. This is outlined when Murasaki got fed up with Genji, but still, Genji insisted and persisted following his love. However, the theme of indefinite death acts a breakup of the two. The end of Murasaki destroys Genji. Thus Genji dies later due to the stress of living a life far different from what he anticipated.

The culture that Genji was brought up made him begin his conditional love with Murasaki after he was told since he was a child that Murasaki is a lady that resembled his mother. For that matter, the culture is portrayed to be connected to making ends meet by using deception and cunning means. For that matter, things did not work well with Genji and Murasaki until their death. The relationships emphasize the aspect of valuing character and considering it to be higher than looks the way Genji could not compare looks to the kind of bond that he had made with his long-awaited fiancee'. Maintaining a compelling character is what is built between Genji and Murasaki relationship. Notwithstanding the fact that Murasaki had shown him dislike, Genji could not let anything prevent him from getting whatever he had made a bond with and decided to die for Murasaki. On her demise, Genji tends to become emotionally inactive and faces the harsh reality of loneliness that was inevitable due to death.

5. Discuss the motif of this course, the two ways of dealing with those who are different from ourselves. Focus mainly on the so-called 'golden rule,' which tells us to treat others as we would want to be treated by them. Reconcile this principle with situations in which conflict is unavoidable, perhaps even violent conflict. In particular, touch on such circumstances in which we are responsible not merely for our wellbeing, but the welfare of those we love. In your response, use references to several of our readings as examples, to help ground your general reaction with concrete specifics.

According to the course, the text offers us a chance to maintain patience while dealing with the people who are different from us. Just like Odysseus and Ganji, living a life with people of which are parallel to our attitudes and desires becomes a problem. For that matter, the motifs of the novels are to gives us a roadmap towards finding a solution to our differences. Just like Odysseus, one can run away for some time as a way of seeking a more profound thought of whatever their differences are, and whenever they come back, the aspect of making a reunion becomes comfortable and appealing to both the parties. Also, Ganji had hated his father, but after realizing that his father had communicated the truth that had been hidden for long, he reunited with him and made him rise to the glory that could only happen in a dream.

Therefore, the two texts try to outline that reunion is a process that cannot be done in a hurry thus it needs one to have their own time to make wise decisions. On the other hand, the way Genji treats his father after being told the truth shows that for one to be treated well, then he or she needs to do the same thing they want to be done. Odysseus is also another character used to outline the aspect of following the golden rule. He comes home to forgive and be forgiven by his wife.