“Take-Home Final Exam
History 102”

“Please select ONE of the works included in the course materials from one of the contexts we cover after the Midterm Exam. (Impressionism>Existentialism)

With reference to that example, its historical context, and its cultural movement, please fill out the form below, providing at least one very full paragraph for each of the required elements.
You may use another word processer to write your answers, but to complete the assignment you must use this Word document. Copy and paste answers into the boxes below, and add endnotes as necessary. [See section on references at end.]
Then save this document with your last name at the start of the filename.
Finally, please go to the course Sakai site by the time of the deadline, click on the Assignment, and submit the file as an attachment.
Grades will be determined by an average score based on all of your reponses.”

“Your exam should analyze how your source
addresses three of the themes listed below its Context.”

“Impressionism

Reaction to experiences of political, industrial, urban, and capitalist revolutions
Painting their ‘present’¬¬–including but not only the modern city
Use of new technologies
Applying scientific method
Capturing the sense of change and movement in modern life”

“Symbolism

Reaction to experiences of political, industrial, urban, and capitalist revolutions
Study of, analysis of, and use of imagery derived from the ‘present’¬¬–including but not only the modern city
Developing complex combinations of symbols
Representing complicated states of mind, including objective and subjective factors
Anticipating modern psychology in the exploration of conscious and subconscious experience
Acknowledging and expressing drives and desires that “bourgeois” culture tended to hide or repress
Critiquing and ‘shocking’ the bourgeoisie for its hypocrisy and repressiveness
Questioning the overemphasis on material and financial “respectability” in “Victorian” culture”
“Post-Impressionism

Reaction to experiences of political, industrial, urban, and capitalist revolutions
Study of, analysis of, and use of imagery derived from the “present”¬¬–including but not only the modern city
Developing complex combinations of symbols
Representing complicated states of mind, including objective and subjective factors
Anticipating modern psychology in the exploration of conscious and subconscious experience
Acknowledging and expressing drives and desires that “bourgeois” culture tended to hide or repress
Critiquing and “shocking” the bourgeoisie for its hypocrisy and repressiveness
Questioning the overemphasis on material and financial ‘respectability’ in ‘Victorian’ culture”

“Expressionism

Reaction to experiences of political, industrial, urban, and capitalist revolutions
Study of, analysis of, and use of imagery derived from the ‘present’¬¬–including but not only the modern city
Developing complex combinations of symbols
Representing complicated states of mind, including objective and subjective factors
Parallelling modern psychology in the exploration of conscious and subconscious experience
Acknowledging and expressing drives and desires that “bourgeois” culture tended to hide or repress
Critiquing and “shocking” the bourgeoisie for its hypocrisy and repressiveness
Questioning the overemphasis on material and financial ‘respectability’ in ‘Victorian’ culture”

“Cubism

Reaction to experiences of political, industrial, urban, and capitalist revolutions
Study of, analysis of, and use of imagery derived from the ‘present’¬¬–including but not only the modern city
Simplification of forms
Multiple dimensionality
Multiple perspectivalism
Change over time”

“Abstraction

Reaction to experiences of political, industrial, urban, and capitalist revolutions
Study of, analysis of, and use of imagery derived from the ‘present’¬¬–including but not only the modern city
Developing complex combinations of non-representational symbols
Representing complicated states of mind, including objective and subjective factors
Exploration of conscious and subconscious experience
Acknowledging and expressing drives and desires that “bourgeois” culture tended to hide or repress
Critiquing and “shocking” the bourgeoisie for its hypocrisy and repressiveness
Questioning the overemphasis on material and financial ‘respectability’ in ‘Victorian’ culture”

“Futurism

Reaction to experiences of political, industrial, urban, and capitalist revolutions
Celebration of industry
Celebration of technology
Rejection of traditional art
Rejection of Romantic > Expressionist responses to modernity
Celebration of speed
Celebration of violence
Celebration of urban world
Celebration of potential beauty of mechanized war
“Dada

Reaction to experiences of political, industrial, urban, and capitalist revolutions
Reaction against First World War
Rejection of rationalism
Rejection of systematization
Techniques designed to undermine order, reason, systematization
Acceptance of disorder and surprise of modern existence”

“Weimar Culture

Reaction to experiences of political, industrial, urban, and capitalist revolutions
Reaction to First World War
Combinations of Expressionist, Cubist, Abstract techniques
Rejection of rationalism
Rejection of systematization
Techniques designed to undermine order, reason, systematization
Critique of post-war politics and society
Focus on economic realities
Representation of the suffering and fundamental dignity of the working classes
Warnings of/calls for revolution
Sense of pessimism forboding about the future”

“Surrealism

Reaction to experiences of political, industrial, urban, and capitalist revolutions
Reaction against First World War
Effort to combine objective and subjective experiences
Use of Dada Techniques designed to record ‘psychic automatism’
Explicit use of Freudian theory
Fear of backlash against modernist cultures”

“Totalitarian Culture

Reaction to experiences of political, industrial, urban, and capitalist revolutions
Reaction to First World War
Rejection of ‘modernisms’
Search for order
Authoritarian rule
Social/racial stratification
Neo-Classical aesthetics
Neo-Romantic aesthetics”

“Existentialism

Reaction to experiences of political, industrial, urban, and capitalist revolutions
Reaction against totalitarianism
Reaction against Second World War
Rejection of underlying order, reason, systematization
Acceptance of disorder and surprise of modern existence
Insistence on existence preceding essence
Rejection of the existence of a diety or divine plan
Insistence on personal responsibility
Acceptance the absurd (unpredictable/non-systematic) nature of existence”

YOUR NAME:

Your Topic: [Creator’s Name: Title of Work; Context]

“I. INTRODUCTION
A. Provide background about the historical context (social, political, military circumstances) relevant to the cultural movement of your example. Start with some discussion of at least the preceding era, as a way to set the scene for your topic. [Draw from class lectures, ‘historical background’ readings on course site, and other academic sources about the period.”
Please type or paste your response here.
“B. Provide background about the cultural context (intellectual/literary/artistic movement) as a reaction to the above, briefly establishing its major themes (not just your chosen three, but many or all of those listed above). Start with some discussion of at least the preceding movement, as a way to set the scene for your topic. [Draw from class lectures, ‘background’ readings in course site, and other academic sources about the culture of the period.]”
Please type or paste your response here.
“C. Provide background about the creator of your example: not a full biography, but discussion of him/her as an important representative of the trend—include pertinent anecdotes, etc. Introduce the work you are analyzing: briefly relate its origins and reputation. (Unless the work is little known, a full summary is NOT necessary. Assume that your reader experienced the work some time ago, but must be reminded of the basics.) Base this section on academic sources.”
Please type or paste your response here.
“D. Develop a Thesis Area including a statement of thesis and plan of argument: argue that the work is an important representative of its ‘context,’ since it conveys three of the themes mentioned above.
Announce the themes in full sentences or clauses, in the order that they will be covered in the body. Think in terms of a thesis area or paragraph which announces each point in a full sentence.”

Please type or paste your response here.
“II. ANALYSIS OF THEME ONE
A. Provide information about major aspects of the historical context to which the cultural movement was responding. Draw from background readings, our discussions, or other sources. Then, discuss this cultural theme as a response to these factors of the historical context. Include reference to ‘theoretical statements’ of contemporaries and members, as well as secondary interpretations by historians (in academic sources).”
Please type or paste your response here.
“B. Present examples of the theme as communicated in other examples of the cultural movement. Include written, visual, and musical examples when possible. Establish thereby that this was an important idea or concept in the era.”
Please type or paste your response here.
“C. Present proof that the theme is communicated in the work you are analyzing [as introduced in IC & ID]: include very specific evidence from the source itself (direct quotes from written sources or careful descriptions of visual & musical materials, integrated well into your explanation of its significance).”
Please type or paste your response here.
“III. ANALYSIS OF THEME TWO
A. Provide information about major aspects of the historical context to which the cultural movement was responding. Draw from background readings, our discussions, or other sources. Then, discuss this cultural theme as a response to these factors of the historical context. Include reference to ‘theoretical statements’ of contemporaries and members, as well as secondary interpretations by historians (in academic sources).”
Please type or paste your response here.
“B. Present examples of the theme as communicated in other examples of the cultural movement. Include written, visual, and musical examples when possible. Establish thereby that this was an important idea or concept in the era.”
Please type or paste your response here.
“C. Present proof that the theme is communicated in the work you are analyzing [as introduced in IC & ID]: include very specific evidence from the source itself (direct quotes from written sources or careful descriptions of visual & musical materials, integrated well into your explanation of its significance).”
Please type or paste your response here.
“IV. ANALYSIS OF THEME THREE
A. Provide information about major aspects of the historical context to which the cultural movement was responding. Draw from background readings, our discussions, or other sources. Then, discuss this cultural theme as a response to these factors of the historical context. Include reference to ‘theoretical statements’ of contemporaries and members, as well as secondary interpretations by historians (in academic sources).”
Please type or paste your response here.
“B. Present examples of the theme as communicated in other examples of the cultural movement. Include written, visual, and musical examples when possible. Establish thereby that this was an important idea or concept in the era.”
Please type or paste your response here.
“C. Present proof that the theme is communicated in the work you are analyzing [as introduced in IC & ID]: include very specific evidence from the source itself (direct quotes from written sources or careful descriptions of visual & musical materials, integrated well into your explanation of its significance).”
Please type or paste your response here.

“V. CONCLUSION:
Develop a full conclusion in which you strongly reiterate your thesis and the ways you have demonstrated it. Write it with some passion!”
Please type or paste your response here.