1) Give historical perspective to one of the works covered in weeks 3 or 4. Develop a thesis that
reflects how the work is a reflection of the time period in which it is written.
2) Write a critical analysis of one of the works from weeks 3 or 4. An overview of approaches can be
found here, but many are quite straightforward. Psychological, gender, sociological, biographical, and
historical are all approaches that many use naturally in viewing a work. However, if your interest lies
elsewhere, feel free to choose another approach. Please include your choice of approach in the
assignment submission text box.
3) Compare and contrast two poems by the same author. You can choose any of their other works for
this comparison. Certainly feel free to explore works we haven’t covered. Be sure that you have
isolated a strong and debatable thesis on which to build the essay. Simply pointing out the
differences is not analysis. Toward that end, you may want to focus on a specific element of the
stories.
Be careful that you don’t create a "cut and paste" paper of information from your various sources.
Your ideas are to be new and freshly constructed. Also, take great care not to plagiarize. Whatever
topic you choose you will need a debatable thesis. A thesis is not a fact, a quote, or a question. It is
your position on the topic. The reader already knows the story; you are to offer him a new
perspective based on your observations.
Week 3 readings:
“Picture Bride” by Cathy Song
in American Literature Since
the Civil War
“Woman Hollering Creek” by
Sandra Cisneros in American
Literature Since the Civil War
“Big Two-Hearted River: Part I
and Part II” by Ernest
Hemingway in American
Literature Since the Civil War
“Two Postures beside a Fire” by
James Wright in American
Literature Since the Civil War
“El Patron” by Nash Candelaria
in American Literature Since
the Civil War or “Government
Goat” by Susan Glaspell in
Best Short Stories of 1919
(found on Gutenberg.org)
”The Revolt of Mother” by Mary
Wilkins Freeman from Short
Stories for English Courses
Week 4 readings:
Watch In Cold Blood
Read one of the following
pieces from "Other
Perspectives" in American
Literature Since the Civil War.
"The Wrysons" by John
Cheever
"Going After Cacciato" by Tim
O’Brien
"Somewhere for Everyone" by
John Grisham
"Good Country People" by
Flannery O’Connor
"Sonny’s Blues" by James
Baldwin
"The Angel Esmerelda" by Don
Delillo
