September 26 - October 2
Students should
- be familiar with events and literary movements of the period corresponding to the published works of writers studied.
- understand the major plot and/or ideas of the assigned works of Hurston and Fitzgerald..
- explore and analyze the subtle motivations of the characters in the assigned works.
- analyze the motivations and problems of the characters in the assigned poems of Eliot, Frost and Sandburg.
- examine and apply the major themes discussed in this unit and be able to explain how these themes are demonstrated in the works assigned.
- prepare for the midterm exam.
Assignments include
- reading the historical introductory material in the text book,
- reading all the documents linked in the module
- reading selections from the works of Eliot, Frost Sandburg, Hurston and Fitzgerald.
- studying the linked audio lectures on the assigned poems.
Assessments include one written assignment and one discussion post
Discussion 4, due Oct. 2
Sandburg and Eliot—not written: Read Carl Sandburg’s head note and "Chicago," (764). Note the masculine imagery in the poem. Also, read the head note for T. S. Eliot (819) and "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" and “Journey of the Magi.” Read Eliot And Sandburg and then answer a question on the Discussion Board about "Journey of the Magi."
Assignment 5: (three parts written)--Due Oct. 2
Robert Frost: Read the three poems below by Robert Frost (727), and answer the questions below:
“Mending Wall": Of all the lines in the poem, why are these three are always relevant? "Before I built a wall I'd ask to know/What I was walling in or walling out,/And to whom I was like to give offense."
“Death of a Hired Man" List the arguments that Warren has for giving up on Silas.
“The Wood Pile": What do you think happened to the person who cut the wood?
Hurston: Read Zora Neale Hurston’s head note (939) and “How It Feels to Be Colored Me” and "The Gilded Six-Bits.” Here's a story with some heavy symbolism, so write a paragraph explaining what the gilded six bits means to each of the three major characters.
Fitzgerald: Read head note for F. Scott Fitzgerald and “Winter Dreams” (965). Write a paragraph analyzing the character Judy Jones. Consider what she represents to him and what she really is.
Submit these three parts as one document through Assignment 5
Preparation for Quiz 2: Proctored (available Sept. 30 - Oct. 6)
Be sure to register for Quiz 2 at least two days in advance of the day you choose to take it on. The Distance Learning Policies contains all the information about proctored testing, so refer to that first with your questions about the procedure. Quiz 2 will cover all the materials, including all assigned textbook readings and documents linked in the second module. But MOST of the quiz is the big essay question. Scroll down past the poem lectures below to see the topic and specifics for it.
Below are lectures about the POEMS studied. You should listen to them and also read the linked documents on the poems to prepare for Quiz 2.
This one discusses E. A. Robinson's poems. this is a media comment
Text of audio link above: E. A. Robinson's Poems
This one is "Death of a Hired Man" and "Stopping by Woods. . ."
Text of mini lecture "Death of Hired Man and Stopping by Woods
This one is "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock."
Text of "Love Song of J Alfred Prufrock": Prufrock
This one is "Journey of the Magi."
Text of above mini lecture:"Journey of the Magi"
This one is "Mending Wall."
Text of the above mini lecture: "Mending Wall"
THE MAJOR DISCUSSION ON QUIZ 2 IS AN ESSAY ON THE TOPIC BELOW. Plan your essay while you read the materials assigned above; it would be a very good idea to write a draft of the essay and send it to me so I can tell you if you are on the right track. You will NOT be allowed to take the draft into the proctor site, but the writing of it will prepare you for writing it at the test site.
First, read and study Oppression in America. Then write an essay with an introductory paragraph, three body paragraphs, and an short conclusion, discussing how the theme of oppression was shown In American literature. See Week 4 readings; three groups--women, Native Americans, and African Americans-- are represented. The introductory paragraph must focus on the topic and state the thesis as the last sentence of intro. The body paragraphs each discuss one of the groups who are represented in the literature as oppressed groups of this era; as each group is discussed, you MUST provided specific stories or essays and details from the story/essay to support your ideas. Finally, the conclusion should make a final comment about your thesis sentence.