The Final Exam: Making Space

Choose ONE of the following topics for your final essay:

1- William Gass wrote a fascinating essay about Invisible Cites (posted here). According to him it is a re-interpretation of Dante’s Inferno, which directly relates to the descending order of Invisible Cities. Read the essay, then refute his thesis as best as possible.

2- Where do the Trafalmadorians from Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five belong in Invisible Cities? Why?

3- Take any dystopia from the summer reading. Compare this city with any other series of cities (i.e, “Cities and Memory”) both literally and figuratively. What does this comparison reveal about the essence of this dystopia?

4- Apply Richard Dawkin’s concept of meme to Invisible Cities. (Keep in mind the progressive structure of the novel.)

5- Compare one scene from the film Waking Life with any two cities from Invisible Cities (here’s its rating and the explanation behind it). You must include two screen shots that you closely analyze in terms of composition. Do your best to explain why this comparison is valid and what it reveals about the experience of living.

6- Which cities best exemplify Dr. Pangloss’ “best of all possible worlds” theory? Explain.

Your paper should be between two and three pages, double-spaced, Times New Roman, 12 point font. See rubric on Standard Score. Your essays must be turned in via turnitin.com by noon tomorrow. Grades will be posted sometime next week.

For any further questions e-mail me at jtangen@cng.edu.

Now, go make some “space” (Calvino, 142).