by | Aug 1, 2022 | American Literature
In Olsen’s novella Tell Me a Riddle, the dying grandmother Eva reveals an internal conflict that underlies her inability to hold her new grandchild:
It was not that she had not loved her babies, her children. The love—the passion of tending—had risen with the need like a torrent; and like a torrent drowned and immolated all else. But when the need was done—oh the power that was lost in the painful damming back and drying up of what still surged, but had nowhere to go. Only the thin pulsing left that could not quiet, suffering over lives one felt, but could no longer hold nor help. . . . And they put a baby in her lap. Immediacy to embrace, and the breath of that past: warm flesh like this that had claims and nuzzled away all else and with lovely mouths devoured; hot-living like an animal—intensely and now; the turning maze; the long drunkenness; the drowning into needing and being needed. (670)
What is at stake for Eva in holding the baby? Is she “unfeeling,” as her husband accuses? Or is something else revealed in her reaction? What does the baby represent in Tell Me a Riddle? Why is the baby’s need so threatening to the mother’s sense of self?
Instructions:
Your initial response should be at least 3 paragraphs (5-8 sentences each).
Include at least 4 quotes from the novel to support your ideas
Be sure to use MLA-style in-text citations for ALL quotes and examples from the text.
DO NOT USE OUTSIDE SOURCES FOR ANY ASSIGNMENT IN THIS CLASS! Your only sources should be the assigned readings; I’m interested in your analysis of the readings ONLY.
by | Jul 30, 2022 | American Literature
Description
The gist of this assignment is as follows: (1) to develop or identify the main question
concerning a problem that exists within your chosen field of education or interest; (2) to come to
some fairly thorough understanding (analysis) of the issue at hand in terms of why it matters; and
(3) to argue for or against a particular answer to the question.
The key to this assignment is narrowing its focus by asking a specific question. For
example, if you are an English major, the question “Does teaching solely Western literature
benefit or harm students?” is too vague. A better question might be “Is teaching Shakespeare the
best way to teach dramatic literature?” If you are an accounting major, you might start by asking
“How can independent CPAs combat unemployment outside of the tax season?” If you are a
chemistry student, your question may involve gender equality in the workforce. These are merely
jumping-off points.
There are, of course, other ways to begin this paper. Another way might be to find an
article that you disagree with and start to hammer out the beginnings of why you disagree. In a
Malcolm Gladwell Tedtalk spoke of Harold Mosquowicz’s finding that the available evidence
for Pepsi and Nescafe was not adequate to the solution proposed.
The point of writing this paper is to synthesize work that scholars do: you will have to
define a problem, possibly in a manner that has not been previously identified; you will find and
analyze evidence and how previous conclusions may no longer apply; and finally, you will have
to argue for an answer–an answer that you may need to discover, or at the very least, evaluate.
This essay should be between 7-8 pages and use MLA citation for the formation of the
essay. It also needs to be in a specific genre that corresponds to your selected audience and
major, interest, or discipline (for example, the question concerning Shakespeare might fit into an
inquiry genre, the CPA might work best in an external report, or as a chemist, the IMRD genre
works best). You are required to have at least 8 sources. Your final paper will be formatted
according to MLA. If you need assistance with formatting, remember that you can refer to
guidelines online at http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01 for additional help.
Remember While You Write
Thesis-driven – Make sure it is narrow and debatable. Narrow your focus and do not let
your argument topic be too broad.
Paragraph Cohesion – Practice careful revision processes in which you completely
develop each paragraph and connect it to the larger idea of your argument.
Argument – Your essay should logically develop a complex argument about a topic, and
in developing your argument, you should explain your reasoning rather than simply
relying on descriptions.
Rhetorical Awareness – Develop your argument with careful attention to the rhetorical
situation in which you purposefully choose a style, tone, organization, evidence, and etc.
Use of Sources – Each source does not necessarily have to carry the same weight – some
will be more applicable to your argument; however, do make correct use of quotations,
paraphrases, etc. by citing in-text and on a Works Cited/References page.
Scholarship Contribution – Your essay should focus on research, as you are a novice
scholar, but it can include some personal experience. However, your experience, if any,
should NOT be the bulk of your argument. So, yes, you can use “I,” but only when
appropriate and referring to your own experiences.
by | Jul 14, 2022 | American Literature
Instructions:
This is the place for personal navigation: Here, you may make observations about what “speaks” to you and why. You may even choose to reflect upon your growing ability to identify mythic motifs or archetypes in books, films, and pop culture outside of class. Journal entries should have a minimum of 500 words. Avoid merely retelling what occurs in the readings. I want your observations, connections, and analysis.
Read:The Mountain of The Lotus and the Fan and Yosoji and the Goddess Fuji
Attached are screenshots of the necessary reading
by | Jul 14, 2022 | American Literature
Here are the questions and topics. Choose three topics to respond to on any three
out of the four readings.
Our Town by Thornton Wilder
All My Sons by Arthur Miller
“Winter Dreams” by F. Scott Fitzgerald
“Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin
Your answers should be a minimum of three paragraphs per answer as this is not a test, but a writing
assignment. You should have a total of nine paragraphs minimum. You can write more of course.
1. Write about the theme of time as it is presented in Thornton Wilder’s play, Our
Town.
2. Describe at least two larger views of Grover’s Corners, historical, social,
political or cosmic, that enlarge our sense of the life lead in this small town.
3. Write about Emily’s realization about life that she experiences when looking
back at one day in her young life.
4. Discuss at least three features of small town American life depicted in
Wilder’s play, Our Town.
5. Explain the two opposing views of the role of the individual in society
expressed by Joe Keller and his son, Chris in Miller’s play: i.e., Joe’s
“business as usual” ethics, and Chris’s “man for man” idealism.
6. How does Joe Keller attempt to justify his wrongdoing in All My Sons?
7. Discuss the conflict between taking care of the family and doing the right
thing, that is dramatized in Miller’s play. What does Joe mean when he says
that “Nothing is bigger than family”? What does Kate mean when she says
that Chris thinks there is.
8. Examine Fitzgerald’s theme of illusion and disillusion in his story, “Winter
Dreams”.
9. What does Judy Jones represent and mean to Dexter Greene? What does
Irene Scheerer represent?
10. What is meant by the phrase repeated in the finale of “Winter Dreams”, ” Now
that thing is gone, that thing is gone”?
11. Discuss the role of music as a redemptive force in James Baldwin’s “Sonny’s
Blues”. Provide specific examples.
12. Provide two examples of the use of the light, dark motif in “Sonny’s Blues”.
What do these passages suggest? What is the underlying meaning of the
imagery?
13. How is the relationship between Sonny and his older brother tested, and how
are they brought together at the end of the story?
14. In what ways does the story touch on the theme of human suffering? Discuss
at least two ways.
by | Jul 14, 2022 | American Literature
Please respond to this question using at least 300 words. You should use two short, direct quotes from the reading to substantiate your answers.
In The Soul of a Landlord, Gold makes references to the religious beliefs of Jewish families and their impact on life in the Lower East Side of New York. For the Jewish community, how do former life experiences and accompanying beliefs inform present decision making? When answering this question, please keep in mind the devastation of the Great Depression.
by | Jul 14, 2022 | American Literature
Directions: Answer the questions below as fully as possible. Be sure to cite specific evidence from the text to substantiate your responses. Each answer should be at least 250 words.
1) Compare Babylon Revisited by F. Scott Fitzgerald to The Promise by John Steinbeck. What are the reasons for the stylistic change in prose? How does the Realism movement serve as a foundation for Steinbeck.
2) Give a Marxist interpretation of The Soul of a Landlord.
3) In Wallace Thurman’s Nephews of Uncle Remus, he gives a pointed critique to the writing of Zola Neale Hurston. Examine Sweat through this lens. Do you agree with Thurman’s viewpoint? Why or why not?
4) In Karintha, the title character is constantly judged. This judgment comes from males in her community. Does this watching and judgment shape the Karintha’s life? Be sure to address both the prose and song components of this work.
