As promised, here is one of the questions from next Thursday's final, adapted from an anonymous submission. This will be Part One of the exam. Everyone will be required to respond to this question. Part Two will feature a choice between one of two possible questions. Please remember that you may not bring notes, outlines, or any other material into the exam with you.
Here is the question:
Using the term “pattern recognition” discuss the postmodern condition as it pervades both textuality and culture. How is pattern recognition and the postmodern intertwined? (Recall Bigend: “We have no future because our present is too volatile. . . . We have only risk management. The spinning of the given moment’s scenarios. Pattern recognition” (57); think also of Eric Packer watching his screens, the constellations of Strickland’s Vniverse, and Paul Auster’s Quinn shadowing Peter Stillman through the streets of Manhattan—of course there are other examples too.) You may write about books from either half of the course; the choice of how many or how few to write about is up to you. You may also write about broader trends in media, politics, and economics, though you should take care to ground any general assertions in the course content as closely as possible.