Literature

Write a short essay responding to H.P. Lovecraft’s “Supernatural Horror in Literature Actions .” This essay should respond to the following question: Why does Lovecraft believe in the enduring significance of the horror tale, and what evidence do you see today of its continued endurance? Answering this twofold question will require two key skills: Summary: In order to explain Lovecraft’s reasoning for why the horror tale has longstanding importance, you will need to provide clear and thorough summary of his most convincing points. In addition to summarizing these points, you may also want to include direct quotations where appropriate, in order to break them down for the reader. Analysis: Apply at least one specific element of horror literature that Lovecraft mentions to a text you are familiar with. This could be a movie, book, TV show, poem, short story, song, etc. Which of Lovecraft’s criteria does this text exhibit, and how does it exhibit this element of horror? How does this text demonstrate our continued fascination with horror? Provide at least one meaningful quotation from Lovecraft’s essay, as well as specific examples from the text your chose. Assignment Requirements Your essay should be 2 full double-spaced pages with 1” side margins, 1” header and footer margins, Times New Roman, 12 pt font. Your essay must summarize and draw direct quotations from H.P. Lovecraft’s “Supernatural Horror in Literature,” where he lays out his explanation of the horror genre. All references should be cited in MLA format, with the author’s last name and page number(s) in parentheses.

1) Why do you think Anne Bradstreet and her writings were/are so important to the scope of Puritan literature? 2) How did Bradstreet feel about religion? 3) Do you see a difference in her perspective or musings based on her male counterparts? What role does gender play in her writing?

How is the Puritan religion a significant theme in Hawthorne’s writing? Choose one – three lines to quote that show the theme. Then, analyze the meaning of what he is saying. Use the quotation sandwich method to introduce, cite, and analyze the quote. What themes or broader messages does Hawthorne explore in his stories? How are these themes similar or different to the themes in the works of Washington Irving? Choose one – three lines to quote that show the theme. Then, analyze the meaning of what he is saying. Use the quotation sandwich method to introduce, cite, and analyze the quote. What literary elements do you notice in Hawthorne’s works? Style? Form? Allusion? Irony? Figurative language? Description? Story arc? etc. How does his use of these forms strengthen his stories? Quote or summarize one or two specific examples and explain how/why they are effective. Use the quotation sandwich method to introduce, cite, and analyze the quote or summary. Happy discussing!

Ethical Dilemma:  You are the CEO (chief executive officer, in other words, the person in charge) of a very successful non-profit organization in a city in the United States. Your organization has been responsible for supporting many highly effective educational and cultural initiatives, including work with public schools, towns and municipalities (assisting in downtown revitalization, for instance), and even infrastructure advances, such as bringing high speed internet to more remote locations.  You are about to receive a major donation (think $1 million+) from a very successful retired local business person who is impressed with your organization’s work.  However, you are contacted by a local newspaper reporter that one of your board members has been accused of sexual harassment by a number of co-workers several years ago, prior before working for your organization.This board member is also a personal friend of the potential donor, who has let it be known to you that the money will be donated in part because of that friendship.  The reporter has asked to speak with you  and that the story will run in paper within 48 hours (whether you go “on the record” or not).  You have known this board member for some time; you have no personal knowledge of any complaints or concerns raised by anyone during this particular time period.  What do you do– and why?  In other words, what ethical system are you engaging as a framework to help you make decisions, why are you employing it (rather than other possible systems), and how are you going to employ it to ensure that an ethical response (or set of responses) occurs?  You may use ANY ethical perspective we’ve encountered so far to help with your response and also employ documented outside readings.

Prompt: This discussion link will serve as an opportunity to talk to each other regarding the importance of the reading and why you find it important. Discussion here consists of responding to two questions: (a) What is the most important point raised in Plato’s Republic Book III? (b) Why do you think it is important? “What” is most important—part (a)—means you present an unbiased, straight-forward account of what you think is the most important point in the reading, with as full an explication of what this point means. The “why” part—part (b)—is evaluative, which means you offer critical analysis, reflecting on why this point matters.  Instructions: Make your initial post by 11:59 pm EST Wednesday. Initial post limited to 250 words (but no fewer than 225). Response to classmates’ posts should be between 150-200 words.  Both parts to the question (a & b, above) should be given equal weight.  Read “Tips for Discussion Assignments” (link located below) for guidance here. Grading Rubric  Grades will be determined—in part—by how well you follow the instructions.

Caryl Churchill’s play Love and Information is written in an unusual format. It is a series of short, enigmatic scenes within each of 5 sections.  In each scene, no characters are named, and no details about setting are provided, in fact the playwright doesn’t even tell you how many characters are in the scene. A theatre company is free to play each scene any way it wishes to. It can even move scenes around within each section of the play. You will be reading a short scene from Love and Information.  Note that each line could be said by a different character (or maybe not…), but how many characters there are is not specified.  Also notice that there are very few periods at the ends of lines.  This should be interpreted as a character not really finishing the line – the character either trails off, starts another thought, or is interrupted by another character.  Periods indicate a full stop, a complete thought. Read through the scene a couple of times and as you do, think about different ways it could be done. Can you think of a humorous way to do the scene?  A dramatic way? How would the lines break out if there were 2 characters?  Or 3? Or more? Write a brief reflection (500-750) that describes 3 different ways the scene could be done.  Be sure to include all the following points for each of the 3 ways: How many characters?  What is their relationship to each other? Where is this scene taking place? What is the secret? (The actors need to know this in order to play the scene.  It does not change the text itself – just the way they say the text.) What feeling(s) do you want the audience to experience during the scene? What do you want the audience to go away thinking about?

After reading the excerpts from the Tale of Genji, (link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/vy50rupsjg4lx1u/TaleOfGenji_murasaki.pdf?dl=0) please write respond to each of the following questions about the text:  my professor’s brief video about the text link : https://youtu.be/McOpzdreljI 1) Who are the characters in the text? Why are they interesting?  2) What is the setting (time and place) of the text? Why is it interesting?  3) What is the plot of the text? Why is it interesting?   4) What are some themes in the text? Why are they interesting?   5) What are structural/ formal features of the text? Why is it interesting?   6) What are some historical contexts of the text? Why is it interesting?   7) What are some intertextual connections with other texts? Why is it interesting?   8) What personal connection do you have with the text? Why is it interesting?

You should definitely begin your paper with a short summary of the play before moving into a description of your response TO the play. Make a list of five or six specific words, images, or moments that caught your attention while you were reading. Answer one of the following questions: Did any of the words, images, or moments you listed contribute to your enjoyment or loathing of the play? Did any of them seem to add to or detract from any overall theme that the play may have had? Did any of them make you think of something completely different and wholly irrelevant to the play? If so, what connection might there be? Write a few sentences about how each of the items you picked out for the second question affected you and/or the play. Your response should clearly articulate how you felt about the play and how the play made you feel. It should also answer the following questions: Who and/or what was the subject of this play? What was the major theme or themes of this play? What if any point of view did the author have on the major theme of the play? Did you agree or not with the author’s point of view?

Instruction: Special attention will be given to analyzing/criticizing the documentary. I already know what the documentaries are about. Tell me what they got wrong, could have done better, etc. or provide some thoughts about how they relate to other questions/issues in foreign policy. Focus on the politics/policy in each documentary. Are there errors? In what ways is the documentary misleading? What have you gleaned from the readings, for example, that could allow you to more critically assess the claims presented in the documentary? What policy implications are suggested by the documentary? Do you accept these recommendations? Why or why not? WATCH: “China Undercover” (https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/film/china- undercover/), and/or “Battle for Hong Kong” (https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/ film/battle-for-hong-kong/) and/or “Trump’s Trade War” (https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/film/trumps-trade-war/) Format: All assignments are to be double spaced, with standard formatting (8.5 x ll paper, 1 inch margins, etc.) in a readable font (11 or 12 point). Grammar and spelling are not graded per se, but legibility is a necessary condition for coherent, persuasive prose

Compare and contrast the position of Devettere in chapter 3 on “Intentionally Causing Death and Letting Die,” and Kelly’s treatment of “Forgoing Treatment, Pillar Two: Killing and Allowing to Die,” found in chapter 14 of his text. Also, compare and contrast the position of Devettere on the use of the ordinary/extraordinary means in preserving life with that of Kelly in chapter 13 of his text. How has Kelly helped you understand the application of each distinction in medical ethics?