This document provides an overview of the American Literature Mid-Year Exam, focusing on the connections between the Enlightenment, architecture, education, and modern life. It discusses how Thomas Jefferson designed the University of Virginia based on classical forms that represented the ideals of education and knowledge at the time. It then examines Frank Gehry's modern architectural designs and whether they reflect aspects of modern American life in the same way Jefferson's designs embodied Enlightenment ideals. Students are prompted to write an essay discussing Jefferson's design of UVA, what it represented about education in the 1800s, and to speculate whether Gehry's designs effectively symbolize America in the 20th century in the same manner.