American Literature

Why is it that they (the characters in The Making of Americans)—or rather we (our society)—can accept uncertainty and even complete mystification in some art or entertainment experiences but not in others? Can we take pleasure in adventures such as this, adventures into prose and poetry that seem to escape the usual chore of making sense and being clear? 5 5 0 5 Gertrude Stein – Objects: Part 1 Options Menu: Forum In “Objects” Stein explores describing everyday items. This seems like a simple enough task, right? For this discussion board, I would like you to describe one item that you own from this list (in your post do not say what you are describing): 1. smart phone 2.car 3. smart watch 4. laptop/computer 5. American Literature textbook 6. book bag 7. scissors 8. water bottle 9. a pair of shoes 10.an object of your choosing Here’s the catch: you have to describe it to someone who has never seen it. Good luck! P.S. As Gertrude Stein famously said, “A rose is a rose is a rose is a rose.” What do you think she meant by that? P.S.S. Just for fun. Try to guess what other classmates are describing. P.S.S.S. Don’t forget. Do not mention what you’re describing. 11 11 0 7 Gertrude Stein – Objects Part 2: Options Menu: Forum What is the meaning of “Objects?” View Picasso’s cubist painting Seated Man. In what ways might Stein’s poem reflect the type of image Picasso created? Compare and contrast the picture with one of Stein’s poems. 6 6 0 6 Zora Neal Hurston – Sweat Options Menu: Forum What is Delia’s worst phobia? Why does Sykes declare that Delia is a hypocrite? Why does this accusation not seem fair given the source? Note the names of the figures who hang out at Joe Clarke’s porch: Joe Lindsay, Jim Merchant, Walter Thomas, and Moss. How might these names be symbolic? How does their dialogue help characterize Delia? How does their dialogue help characterize Sykes? Hurston’s stories (like Mark Twain’s) are known for their use of phonetic, regional dialect, in which character’s accents and pronunciations are reproduced phonetically. Did this add or take away from the story for you? Why? 5 5 0 5 Zora Neal Hurston – How It Feels to Be Colored Me Options Menu: Forum The NAAL editors say that Hurston “rejected the idea that a black writer’s chief concern should be how blacks were being portrayed to the white reader. She did not write to ‘uplift her race,’ either; because in her view it was already uplifted, she (like Claude McKay) was not embarrassed to present her characters a mixtures of good and bad, strong and weak.” What do you think of this approach? What are readers meant to take away from each of these two pieces(…Colored Me & Sweat)? In what ways are these Hurston texts — and, in fact, some of the other texts we’ve been reading — considered to be “modern?” Based on the texts we’ve read in this 1914-1945 “unit,” what is your working definition of “modernism?” 4 4 0 4 William Faulkner – A Rose for Emily Options Menu: Forum What is important about the title of the short story, “A Rose for Emily”? What are the multiple meanings for the “rose”? How essential is the setting to the story? Could the story have taken place anywhere else? Do you find the characters likable? Would you want to meet the characters? What makes Emily Grierson such an enigma to her neighbors? What is she hiding from them, literally as well as figuratively? Does the story end with a smoking gun that ultimately explains Emily’s behaviors, or with a red herring that provides more questions than answers? Is Emily crazy, or do her actions instead reflect on the community that raised her? 4 4 0 4 William Faulkner – Barn Burning Options Menu: Forum Where does Abner Snopes’s rage come from? A glitch in his personality? A reactionary protest against the inequities in the class system that have destined him to a dead-end life as a sharecropper? An existential agony of which he himself is only dimly aware? Faulkner gives us little insight into Abner’s motivation, even going so far as to tell the story largely through the perspective of a young child who can’t possibly fathom why Abner behaves as he does. Is Faulkner hiding something from us as readers, or is he underscoring the primal, inexplicable nature of Abner’s rage? Examine the boy’s “interior monologues,” the italicized parts of the story. What do these tell us about the boy, about others, about Faulkner’s style(s) of narration? What is the role of women in the text? What about single/independent women? What about the role of wife and mother? Examine the references to the boy’s sisters and the places where his mother and aunt appear in the story. How and why does Faulkner describe these women the way he does? What are we “to take” from this story? What is the central theme or message? Are there other themes or messages as well? 2 2 0 2 Langston Hughs: Part 1 Options Menu: Forum Mulatto Discuss the significance of the word ‘mulatto’ in relation to Langston Hughes’ life and works. What leads to the birth of a Mulatto boy? What is the attitude of the Mulatto’s white father toward him? Theme for English B What does Hughes mean by the lines, “You are white— / yet a part of me, as I am a part of you. / That’s American”? The Weary Blues Hughes often said that he came down with frequent cases of the ‘Blues.’ Explain what the blues are and what, if anything, Hughes felt was the remedy for this illness. Note on Commercial Theatre What is Hughes protesting? The Negro Speaks of Rivers Four rivers are named: the Euphrates, the Congo, the Nile, and the Mississippi. What special significance do these four rivers have in terms of creating the world of the poem? What historical or cultural worlds do they help us imagine? How is the history of humanity related to the history of an individual man in this poem? With that in mind, what do you think the speaker means by “My soul has grown deep like the rivers”? I, Too In “I, Too,” what do you think the speaker means by “I am the darker brother”? Why is the speaker sent to the kitchen? Why will they be “ashamed”? In your opinion, what is the message being sent in this poem? 2 2 0 2 Langston Hughes: Part 2 Options Menu: Forum Discuss whether you believe Hughes’ was a political poet. Cite examples of his life and works to support your argument. Hughes often incorporated other art forms into his poetry. Give an example of this and explain how the inclusion of other forms affected Langston’s verse. Why was Hughes considered a Blues poet? What is the significance of the period in which Hughes lived in relation to his writing? What characteristics of Modernism do you see in Hughes’ poetry

TOPIC : Write an essay in which you relate A Doll’s House to Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s story “The Yellow Wallpaper” (MLM 231-244). How can these works of literary fiction inform and reflect each other? Indeed, Perkins Gilman argues in her book Women and Economics that “woman should not be confined to the household and made economically dependent on men” (MLM 231). Her story “The Yellow Wallpaper” shows an outcome of such dependence. Do you think that Ibsen and Perkins Gilman wanted to achieve similar aims in their works? If so, why? If not, why not? For Essay #3, you will be composing a 4-page essay on Ibsen’s play, A Doll’s House. The following requirements must be followed, regardless of which essay topic you choose: 1. You must cite the text using correct MLA formatting. 2. You must fully analyze all of the quotes you choose to incorporate into your essay. At minimum, you should have three quotes. 3. You should reflect on the language of the play. In other words, do not overlook intriguing word choices, unusual pauses (i.e. what is not said), and striking repetitions. 4. You need both an introduction and a conclusion. 5. You need a combination of analysis and evaluation, making sure not to devolve into plot summary (which is neither analytical nor evaluative). 6. Your essay needs an original and persuasive thesis.

About The Assignment Despite its relative youth, American Literature has transformed through several different periods, each with distinct identities and purposes. In this course, you’ve covered several of the prominent eras and read famous works from each of them. Drawing upon these works, use the following prompt as a foundation to write a 1,000 to 1,500 word essay about the topic. Formatting & Sources Please write your paper in the MLA format. As part of your research, you may refer to the course material for supporting evidence, but you must also use at least four credible, outside sources and cite them using MLA format as well. Please include a mix of both primary and secondary sources, with at least one source from a scholarly peer-reviewed journal. If you use any Study.com lessons as sources, please also cite them in MLA (including the lesson title and instructor’s name). Primary sources are first-hand accounts such as interviews, advertisements, speeches, company documents, statements, and press releases published by the company in question. Secondary sources come from peer-reviewed scholarly journals, such as the Journal of Management. You may use like JSTOR, Google Scholar, and Social Science Research Network to find articles from these journals. Secondary sources may also come from reputable websites with .gov, .edu, or .org in the domain. (Wikipedia is not a reputable source, though the sources listed in Wikipedia articles may be acceptable.) If you’re unsure about how to use MLA format for your paper and sources, please see the following lessons: What is MLA Format? Final Essay Prompt Several of the works in this course include characters struggling to either live by a set of standards created for them by society or by their own internal guidelines. Choose two characters from the works on the mandatory reading list for this course (they must come from different works). Compare and contrast these characters, addressing issues of race, gender, and class as applicable. Explore how these characters embody what it means to be an American. Please make sure to support your explanation with examples from the text. Grading Rubric Your essays will be graded based on the following rubric: Category Unacceptable (0-1) Needs Improvement (2-3) Good (4) Excellent (5) Total Possible Points Structure (x3) Structure is illogical or significantly hinders understanding Arguments are difficult to identify; ideas are disjointed Evidence is provided & is relevant to the thesis, but transitions and connections are lacking Arguments are well integrated; ideas flow logically; main points are identifiable 15 Analysis (x3) No examples are used to support arguments; analysis is missing or incorrect Few or weak examples are given to support main points Examples are given to support most points, but not all; analysis lacks originality All main points are supported with evidence and include original analysis 15 Thesis (x2) Thesis is missing Thesis lacks clarity or is not well-developed Thesis adequately states the student’s argument Thesis clearly & logically states the student’s argument 10 Mechanics (x2) Incorrect spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and use of standard English grammar hinders understanding Several instances of incorrect spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and usage of standard English grammar Few instances of incorrect spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and usage of standard English grammar

1)– Write at least 100 words about your plans for this Essay . What questions do you have so far? What do you think you need to learn? Use these questions as guidelines for your essay proposal. Additionally, list the complete bibliographic listing for at least one source you are considering using. Your source must be scholarly/peer-reviewed, and cannot be a book review, dictionary, encyclopedia, video, or anything longer than 20 page. 2) Write an Essay on Tennessee Williams “A Streetcar Named Desire” conduct research on how this story is representative of a particular movement. Your essay must be 700-1000 words, and must include a Works Cited page (not included in the word/page count). You must use at least two secondary sources, but do not use more than four. Do not use dictionaries or encyclopedias. At least one of your sources must be a scholarly/peer-reviewed source. You have two choices for this first essay: Pleas ,I need a rough draft and the complete essay.

An Essay on How jack kerouac’s on the road exemplifies the spirit of the beat movement using the attached sources 1. Pokharel, Badri Prasad. “Beats and Ginnsberg.” Tribhuvan University Journal 27.1-2 (2010): 17-24. https://www.nepjol.info/index.php/TUJ/article/view/26349 2. VIDEO; JACK KEROUAC on THE STEVE ALLEN SHOW with Steve Allen 1959 https://youtu.be/3LLpNKo09Xk 3. use the attached book and cite it

What do you feel is a strong point in Schalet’s argument? Include one quote and explain why it demonstrates logic. (4 points) -Schalet studied a very specific group of people, which can be found in the text. What about her participants and methods weakens her argument? Include a quote (4 points) -What does she leave out in terms of what might impact parental attitudes regarding their rules/ beliefs, along with the teens themselves? (culture, beliefs, etc.). (4 points) -Schalet doesn’t discuss many aspects of things teens aren’t prepared for that can happen in unhealthy relationships. What other issues do you think teens and young adults could benefit from learning about? How could this kind of conversation be encouraged in families? (4 points)

1. analyze at least one piece of writing from either William Bradford and/or Mary Rowlandson and discuss how the European perspectives the writers views of encounter with Native Americans 2. compare and contrast the Founding Fathers concept of religious freedom with Puritan beliefs and prejudices from other readings this semester 3. analyze either “ the speech of miss Polly baker” or remarks concerning the savages of North American to show how Benjamin Franklin used fiction to call attention to important social issues of his day. 4. analyze the conflict between good and evil in at least one short story by Nathanial Hawthorne

Topic: How Jack Kerouac’s On the Road exemplifies the spirit of the Beat Movement? 1- Introduce the topic with a good thesis 2- Tell three Things that mark with the Beat Movement is about? • Discuss one of them on how Jack Kerouac does it • Discuss the second point • Discuss the third point 3- Conclusion Rephrase the thesis well please and conclude. What does it mean to the poetry to be a part of the beat movement? NB The essay is not about proving that he is good, but about your opinion. No Plagiarism, please. No outside sources. USE ONLY MY TWO ARTICLES AND THE SCREENSHOT OF THE PAGES OF MY BOOK. (Norton Anthology of American Literature_ 1865 To The Present Vol 2 EDITION 9) I Will attached my outline and you will choose questions that fit my topic the most, and used it ( only three or four-point and elaborated in 3 or 4paragraphs.)

Use this Textbook :Levine Robert S. The Norton Anthology American Literature Short Nine Edition 1865 to The Present(V2). 9th ed., Vol. 2:1865 to present. To Answer the following question 1) After watching A Streetcar Named Desire, what do you think of the performances? Did anything surprise you about this movie? What do you think the movie was saying about gender and class? 2) How is the version of “Battle Royale” in the book different from the video we watched? What are some of the symbols in this scene, and what do you think they represent? 3) Ginsberg’s poetry is breakthrough in many ways, but is undoubtedly obscene. Even worse, Ginsberg was a member of NAMBLA, an organization that supports pedopihilia and wants to remove laws against underage sex. In other words, most people would regard him as a horrible human being. So, should we bother to study him? What about his poetry makes him worth remembering, in spite of his behavior and beliefs? Where should we draw the line on “cancel culture”? 4) After watching the Wallace video and reading his essay, comment on whether you think he is able to take his own advice. Where do you see him practicing the kind of good writing he is talking about in the video, and where do you see him falling victim to his own criticisms? Or does he?

1) After watching A Streetcar Named Desire, what do you think of the performances? Did anything surprise you about this movie? What do you think the movie was saying about gender and class? 2) How is the version of “Battle Royale” in the book different from the video we watched? What are some of the symbols in this scene, and what do you think they represent? 3) Ginsberg’s poetry is breakthrough in many ways, but is undoubtedly obscene. Even worse, Ginsberg was a member of NAMBLA, an organization that supports pedopihilia and wants to remove laws against underage sex. In other words, most people would regard him as a horrible human being. So, should we bother to study him? What about his poetry makes him worth remembering, in spite of his behavior and beliefs? Where should we draw the line on “cancel culture”? 4) After watching the Wallace video and reading his essay, comment on whether you think he is able to take his own advice. Where do you see him practicing the kind of good writing he is talking about in the video, and where do you see him falling victim to his own criticisms? Or does he? https://archive.org/details/A.Streetcar.Named.Desire.1951.464×336.25fps.739kbs.V4mp3.MultiSub.WunSeeDee(video) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVTv3ilp4LA a reading of howl watch the video of all of them for you to ans the question