English Literature

 Writing Direction: In a one page essay write about Rejoiceful Death. Be sure to quote from the poem, noting its stanzas and lines Objective: The value of a seed — what’s in it — is not revealed until it is watered and exposed to sun light. When it goes through this process a forest is eventually revealed. Much like what is inside a poem is not revealed until the right questions (water) are asked about it. After going through this process great story emerges from just a few lines. In this assignment you will undergo a process whereby you will learn about aspects of a poem such as: Tone, voice, irony, setting, message, stanza, lines, characters etc…The key lays within the questioning!

Topic: Researched Essay Format: MLA. Access the Purdue OWL MLA Formatting and Style Guide here- https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/ Length Requirement: minimum of 1000 – 1500 words All sources must be cited Your Process: You are researching and writing an essay on Arthur Miller’s play Death of a Salesman (1949). Here is a link to the text: Death of a Salesman (Text) http://www.wcusd15.org/kershaw/ENG%20302/DS%20Death%20of%20a%20Salesman%20Complete.pdf [Open in new window.] Here is a link to the breakdown of scenes: Breakdown of Scenes https://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/d/death-of-a-salesman/play-summary Here is a link to a film version of the play: Film Version of Death of a Salesman http://fod.infobase.com.proxygsu-sga1.galileo.usg.edu/p_ViewVideo.aspx?xtid=49016 Instructions: Part 1: There are a few different ways you could approach the writing of this essay: The thematic approach: You will choose a theme or idea that you see in the play and then make an assertion about how and/or why that theme is being used. Consider the following themes: Love Alienation/Otherness The American Dream/Nightmare The Quest for Identity/Coming of Age Conformity/Rebellion Perform a character study. Discuss what motivates this character to do what he or she does or perhaps discuss how and why the character deals with the conflicts within the play. You could also choose to compare and contrast two characters. Compare and contrast the play—or some element of the play—with another literary work. Please contact your instructor if you are planning to use a literary work for comparison that has not been covered in this class. In addition to or in place of the approaches described above, you might want to employ a formalist’s approach to analyze and interpret the literary work you have chosen. You might consider the following questions and considerations: How do paradox, irony, ambiguity, and tension work in the play? Is there a central or focal passage that can be said to sum up the entirety of the work? What are the key symbols in the play? Part 2: Once you decide on an approach and a topic: If you have any questions or need guidance, discuss your choices with your instructor. Make sure you have a strong thesis statement. This should not be a question or something “obvious” and undebatable like a synopsis of what happens in the play. Instead, it should be your own fresh idea that takes a firm stance on your chosen aspect of the play. Set forth to prove your assertion about the text. To do so, you need to: Analyze your primary source (Death of a Salesman) and find quotations that support your assertion. Find secondary sources (scholarly articles) to back up your assertion. (Include these sources in your working bibliography.) This is your scholarly research. By finding scholars to support your ideas or even counter them, you are backing up your own thoughts using evidence from experts in the field. Follow MLA Format: Use MLA format for the paper: Purdue Owl: MLA info Length:  minimum of 1000 – 1500 words Include a Works Cited Page, not to be counted in the 1000-1500 word minimum Appropriate Scholarly Secondary Sources Included:  minimum of 3 scholarly sources Be sure to have an appropriate title for your essay (See Titling Your Essay) Write with an analytical purpose: Do not spend too much space summarizing the text.  Assume that your reader has already read or seen the play. Aim for an organized paper that offers your reader some new insight into the play. In summary: You make an assertion. You prove it with textual examples. You back it up with other scholarly support from your research. Academic Honesty Plagiarism in any form is unacceptable. Please ask if you have questions about what constitutes plagiarism. Your words and your ideas must be your own. Formatting and Style Be sure to maintain an appropriate academic tone (no slang, second-person, contractions, etc.) Your essay should be typed, double-spaced, in 12-point Times New Roman font, with one-inch margins, and numbered pages. Include your name, my name, the title of the class, and the date in the upper left-hand corner of the first page. Center your title (you do not need to underline or italicize it) and place it above the body of the essay. Do not include a title page.

The Story of an Hour:          A Rose for Emily:                  A&P: 1)  Louise Mallard                  1)  Emily Grierson                  1)  Sammy 2)  Brently Mallard                 2)  Homer Barron                    2)  Queenie 3)  Josephine                           3)  Judge Stevens                    3)  Lengel 4)  Richard                              4)  Tobe                                   4)  Stokesie                                                 5)  Colonel Sartoris                 5)  The First Friend (“Plaid”)     6)  The Second Friend (“Big Tall Goony Goony”) Pick one character from any of the three short stories we have read so far.  Be sure to follow the guidelines for a proper character analysis.  The paper should be two pages (typed) in MLA format.  Points are taken off for MLA format.  Refer to the text or the Purdue Owl website if you need a refresher. Guidelines: 1) Pay attention to the character’s ethics. Does the character make just or unjust choices? 2) Decide whether the character’s actions are wise or unwise. 3) What is the character’s motivation? As you are mulling over the pros and cons of each character’s internal thoughts and external actions, you will want to also consider why the character is acting or thinking in a particular way. Has the author given you any clues about the character’s past? 4) Consider the effects of the character’s behavior on other characters. 5) Look for repeatedly used words that describe the character. Those words often give insight into a character’s psychology and motivations. 6) Be aware of items associated with the character. They may say something about his or her state of mind. 7) Read between the lines. Often what a character does not say is as important as what he or she does say. 8) Is the character “flat” or “round”? A character is considered flat (or static) when he or she does not experience change of any kind, does not grow from beginning to end.  Round characters are those who do experience some sort of growth. 9) Consider the historical time period of the character. Refrain from making modern judgments about the past; put the character’s actions and thoughts in context. 10) Finally, what does the author think? Look for any of the author’s own judgments about the characters he or she has created. The author may be directing you toward an intended interpretations. THIS IS THE WEBSITE FOR ” THE STORT OF AN HOUR” – https://archive.vcu.edu/english/engweb/webtexts/hour/ THIS IS THE WEBSITE FOR ”  A Rose for Emily by William” -http://xroads.virginia.edu/~DRBR/wf_rose.html THIS IS THE WEBSITE FOR “A & P by John Updike” -http://www.tiger-town.com/whatnot/updike/

Write a 700- to 1,050-word essay analyzing a selected work of literature from the section in Texts and Contexts Chapter 5 entitled “Practicing Structuralist and Deconstructive Criticism” (pp. 194-198). The literary works from which to choose include an advertisement and three poems: “Cut through the anxiety…” an advertisement from USC, “London” by William Blake, “Ethics” by Linda Pastan,” and “Death Be Not Proud” by John Donne. Interpret the theme(s) of the work through a structuralist, poststructuralist, or deconstructionist lens. Use examples (quotes & specific details) from the selected work to demonstrate what you have determined to be the theme of the work. Use at least two academic or peer-reviewed secondary sources to help you define your chosen theory, and demonstrate how the theory brings the reader closer to the meaning of the work. Linda Pastan: Ethics R.T. Smith In ethics class so many years ago our teacher asked this question every fall: If there were a fire in a museum, which would you save, a Rembrandt painting or an old woman who hadn’t many years left anyhow?  Restless on hard chairs caring little for pictures or old age we’d opt one year for life, the next for art and always half-heartedly.  Sometimes the woman borrowed my grandmother’s face leaving her usual kitchen to wander some drafty, half-imagined museum. One year, feeling clever, I replied why not let the woman decide herself? Linda, the teacher would report, eschews the burdens of responsibility. This fall in a real museum I stand before a real Rembrandt, old woman, or nearly so, myself.  The colors within this frame are darker than autumn, darker even than winter — the browns of earth, though earth’s most radiant elements burn through the canvas. I know now that woman and painting and season are almost one and all beyond the saving of children.

ENGLISH II                                          ASSIGNMENT. 1     This class focuses on analyzing literature. Our first reading is Daughters of Invention by Julia Alvarez. Please take a moment to read the story and answer the following questions. All questions must be answered in one paragraph of 6 sentences each.   1.  Why do you think the father wanted to protect his daughter? 2. Describe the relationship between the narrator and her mother?

Essay 1 Our first reading of the semester comes from Jonathan Haidt’s book, The Happiness Hypothesis. We will be reading the Introduction and Chapter 1: “The Divided Self. ” This book will show us why our hearts and brains are sometimes at odds, how our brains can confabulate information (i.e. lie), and why it is sometimes so difficult to win an argument. Start by reading the Intro and CH 1: https://www.happinesshypothesis.com/chapters.html (Note, you can download and save the PDF files if you choose. There is a lot of information in here, so it’s a great idea to take notes and annotate as you read. a. Summarize. One paragraph. Choose one section from CH. 1 to summarize. (Example: You could summarize “Third Division: Old vs. New,” “The Difficulty of Winning an Argument ” . . . etc.). Make sure to tell us which section you are summarizing. b. Connect. At least three sentences. Make some sort of connection to the section that you just summarized. It could be a personal connection (“This reminds me of the time . . .”) or a connection to something you read about or saw.  c. Struggle. At least two sentences. Identify something that you struggled with in this section. It could be an issue with comprehension (“I’m not sure what he meant by . . .”) or the way this is written (“I don’t like when he . . .”). You could also get more philosophical and identify a struggle inspired by the text (“I struggle with the fact that people . . .”) d. Question. Ask a question inspired by the text. It could be abut comprehension or analysis (“What do you think he meant by . . .”) or it could be a philosophical/personal question inspired by the text (“How do you think we can . . .”). 2. RESPOND:  Respond meaningfully to at least two classmate posts. You could answer their question, offer a correction in their summary, share a similar connection, etc. The point is to enhance the conversation.  Write at least 4 sentences for each response.

How is the Beowulf reading going? Are you understanding it, beginning to understand it, or still struggling? In the lecture notes, I comment that in the world of Beowulf a failure to take revenge could be psychologically destructive. Usually, in our time, we think of taking revenge as psychologically damaging. (Although we do still say, “revenge is sweet.”) Imagine and comment on why a culture might see taking revenge as contributing to emotional health. Quote an alliterative passage from Beowulf that appeals to you. Paraphrase it and explain what the images and words make you see or feel. What are some ways Anglo-Saxon culture was completely different from our own? One thing you might notice throughout Beowulf is that the writer is very aware of the psychological effects people experience when they lose someone to death. Re-read lines 129-134 and describe the emotional condition Grendel’s attacks leave Hrothgar in. Paraphrase what Beowulf predicts will follow the old spearman’s words, “Now my friend, don’t you recognize…,” lines 2053-2061. Think about Beowulf’s behavior towards Unferth right before he sails to his own home (southern Sweden), beginning about line 1807-1812. From a leadership point of view, why do you think Beowulf is so respectful to Unferth? See lines 2379-2390. This passage reveals extremely important details. Paraphrase it. To understand these lines better, look at your genealogy before the poem begins, part 3. This explains that Ongentheow is the father of Ohthere and Onela. Ohthere would have been Ongentheow’s heir, and when he is killed in battle, Ohthere’s oldest son, Eanmund, might try to claim the throne. However, Onela becomes king of the Swedes, but Eanmund and Eadgils threaten his power. Read lines 2430-2443 and describe what happened in Hrethel’s family before the Beowulf story began. What relation is Hrethel to Beowulf? In lines 2444-2462, the poet tries to explain Hrethel’s reaction to his son’s death by telling an imaginary story about another father. Paraphrase lines 2450-2462, using quotations here and there. Comment on the imagery the poet uses to communicate the emotions the old man feels. Read lines 2616-2619, referring to Onela’s response to Weohstan’s offering Eanmund’s weapons to him. Explain why Onela does this, remembering that Eanmund is his nephew and thinking about revenge killing and/or wergild. Once you get to the end of the poem, I want you to figure out whose sword is in Wiglaf’s possession and why that matters to the future of the Geats. HINT: It’s not Beowulf’s sword, and it came from the Swedes. You can understand why the origin of Wiglaf’s sword matters so much if you remember the Freawaru digression, and the way the old spearman gets the younger one worked up; keep in mind the impact of lines 2910-2923, especially line 2922-2923. Have you read any different versions of Beowulf before? There are other poetry versions than Heaney’s, and there are also prose versions. Would you rather read the story in poetry or prose? Why? What are the strengths and weaknesses of both? Have you seen any movies based on Beowulf (like The 13th Warrior and the horrendous 2007 Beowulf)? What did you think of them? Can you think of other movies or stories that kind of remind you of Beowulf? (The Lord of the Rings trilogy comes to mind, as do the Klingons in the Star Trek series.) Is Beowulf more of a Pagan or Christian work? Where do you see elements of both?

The authors all have presented a variety of characters who have some kind of driveled sautés or who lack privileged status (or, if not a character specifically, the work discusses some type of privilege in its content). Essentially, privilege is a superior set of rights or status as compared to other individuals. privilege can involve race, social class, gender, or ay number of other categories and mainly concerns one group of people who has a higher status or more access to rights and opportunities than others. Referring to at least three examples from the three different authors, where do we see either examples of privilege or lack of privilege in the readings? (Make sure you’re focusing on a particular example of privilege and not just summarizing an entire text.) What is the privilege that the character has or lacks (or that the author is discussing)? How does that possession of privilege or lack or privilege affect their life or their opportunities? What can their experience or discussion perhaps tell us about how privilege or the lack of privilege affects individuals today? Minimize the use of “I”. Must be in conventional essay format (contain an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion).  Any paraphrases or direct quotations of material from the texts you are using must be properly punctuated (clear use of quotation marks for direct quotations, for example) and must contain a parenthetical citation noting the page number of the material. Must provide a works cited page, noting full bibliographical information for your source material, with the submitted exam. Reading 1: A Modest Proposal-https://www.gutenberg.org/files/1080/1080-h/1080-h.htm OR Oroonoko- https://www.gutenberg.org/files/29854/29854-h/29854-h.htm#oroonoko Reading 2: Candide by Voltaire- https://www.gutenberg.org/files/19942/19942-h/19942-h.htm Reading 3: Equiano  Read Chapters 1 & 2, and you only need to read Chapter 3 until the paragraph that starts “I have often seen my master and Dick employed in reading”:

All of these poems feature some kind of non-human creature: a butterfly, a woodchuck, hunting dogs, a rabbit, cows, elves (twice!), and a small bird. Why? That is: what is their function? Choose one or more of these creatures and discuss their significance within their respective poems.

“A Good Man Is Hard to Find” by O’Connor “The Cariboo Cafe” by Viramontes “The Yellow Wall-Paper” by Gilman “Where Are You Going” by Oates “Desiree’s Baby” by Chopin  Do the following for each of the five stories;  Write a 50-word discussion of its theme/main idea. Word the idea itself as a complete statement that can stand alone and such that it can be applied to life outside the story. Briefly discuss some evidence from the story that supports this interpretation. Write a 50-word discussion of the main conflict and its resolution. Be sure to state both specific opposing forces in the conflict and state whether the conflict is internal or external. If the conflict is internal, state two specific opposing parts of the same character.  State which opposing force gets the upper hand at the end of the story (resolution).  The central conflict needs to be one that is not resolved until the end of the story.  It should not be one of the less important conflicts in the story. Text; The Concise Heath Anthology of American Literature, Volume 2, 2nd ed.  (Lauter)