ENG359Y: American Literature 1880-1960
Instructor: Ann-Barbara Graff
Office: Room 291
Office Hours: W 5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. or by appointment
Class Meeting Times: MW 6:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Essay Topics
Choose one topic from the following list:
1. Discuss the ways in which the "promise" of America is problematized in McTeague.
2. What thematic concerns are revealed through the courtship of Old Grannis and Miss Baker?
3. Discuss the importance of silence or absence in one or two text(s) discussed this term.
4. Women are perceived as victims and/or predators. Discuss the dualistic or ambiguous role of women in McTeague or Three Lives.
5. Setting refers to the physical backdrop or geographical location of the action in a story; the author creates the illusion of place by locating a scenario in space and time. In McTeague and in If I Forget Thee, Jerusalem: The Wild Palms, setting (weather, landscapes, urban interiors) is a key narrative element, as it is maximized to reveal and inform character and theme. Select ONE text and analyze how setting informs character and theme.
6. Analyze the means by which Faulkner achieves (or attempts to achieve) narrative unity in If I Forget Thee, Jerusalem: The Wild Palms.
This assignment is worth 20 % of your total grade. The essay must not be more than 1200-1500 words (5-7 pages, typed, double-spaced) and should be handed in on or before Wednesday July 26, 200.
Text substitutions are possible, but must be okayed by me on or before July 10, 2000.
Penalties for lateness: Extensions should not be asked for and will not be granted EXCEPT in cases of serious emergencies, e.g., medical crisis. Late essay will be penalized 5% per day (including weekends and holidays).
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Posted 28 June 2000