tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9562695246260956732024-03-13T13:29:07.993-07:00Survey of American Literature, Beginnings to 1865evelevjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06412797589175990830noreply@blogger.comBlogger41125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-956269524626095673.post-20404826360501005842011-05-03T08:00:00.000-07:002011-05-03T08:07:32.529-07:00Abraham Lincoln, Speeches<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn-vsuMOJ7jPWqQ6RqRf-T-S-fdk5mfnKGBRFJP2IxKYTMyxGRT2evF9EDmP1oE_xtEd9VgjXObjLLCdwbRH1-qsyn4zy0kAGbdrKwufNunmdJROS3NUj6BhPyvRER9FHArchnUakSQqsf/s1600/lincoln.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 223px; height: 226px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn-vsuMOJ7jPWqQ6RqRf-T-S-fdk5mfnKGBRFJP2IxKYTMyxGRT2evF9EDmP1oE_xtEd9VgjXObjLLCdwbRH1-qsyn4zy0kAGbdrKwufNunmdJROS3NUj6BhPyvRER9FHArchnUakSQqsf/s320/lincoln.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602505094852921890" border="0" /></a>--Both of these speeches are famous examples of American political oratory. Coming as they do at the end of the term, it's hard not to look at them through the lens of earlier material we've studied, so why not do it?<br /><br />--Compare Lincoln's speeches and their vision of the collective bond or identity of the American nation with those of Winthrop's "A Modell of Christian Charity," Danforth's "Errand in the Wilderness," Jefferson's "Declaration" or Madison's "Federalist Letter #10."<br /><br />--We have studied a range of romantic political rhetoric, including abolitionist and women's rights discourse. How do Lincoln's speeches fit (or not) with the spirit or forms of romantic reformist discourse?evelevjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06412797589175990830noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-956269524626095673.post-8333881099866626462011-04-30T12:32:00.000-07:002011-04-30T12:38:11.059-07:00Civil War Poetry--In the previous poetry, Whitman asserted and struggled with his vision of himself as the bard, the poet who unified the nation. The civil war clearly signaled a crisis for Whitman as a person and a poet. He moved south and worked as a hospital aide and then worked in Washington. How do you see him changing as a poet, both in his subject matter and his presentation of his role as a poet in "Drum-Taps"?<br /><br />--Melville turned to poetry after he became frustrated with the reception of his fiction and despite receiving even less attention for his poetry, stuck with writing poetry the rest of his life. What do these poems have to say about the coming of the war ("The Portent"), the waging of the war ("Utilitarian...), and what reactions to the war reflected about American culture ("The House-Top")?evelevjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06412797589175990830noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-956269524626095673.post-31224267272295202272011-04-28T11:34:00.001-07:002011-04-28T11:44:16.693-07:00Dickinson, Fascicle 16<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjAp_tDa8Ef5tiaKqiFYCeVIkZKZuYTN6jU-VsUXDs_xOBl8fwbL_-tFxU8xZGGNtuUAaFpVvjcnHxHx8b2bNQrTyXoq9OMDrddgXfr2AcMs83BE7YtrDEeE7F0VHaRrW1tnmZ5bIERJN_/s1600/fascicle.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 144px; height: 204px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjAp_tDa8Ef5tiaKqiFYCeVIkZKZuYTN6jU-VsUXDs_xOBl8fwbL_-tFxU8xZGGNtuUAaFpVvjcnHxHx8b2bNQrTyXoq9OMDrddgXfr2AcMs83BE7YtrDEeE7F0VHaRrW1tnmZ5bIERJN_/s320/fascicle.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600704822750243282" border="0" /></a><br />--Here's a sample of a Dickinson poem in manuscript.<br /><br />--Compare reading Dickinson poetry in the groupings she imagined herself and the poetry grouped by theme or in context with other poetry written by women of the time. How is this a different way of seeing her work?<br /><br />--What does the grouping of the poems in this fascicle do to the individual poems? How do you think the poems relate to each other? What does the document itself say?<br /><br />--The version available online offers examples of the variant lines that Dickinson included in the fascicles. What does including variants do to the meaning of the poem or your reading of the poetry more generally?evelevjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06412797589175990830noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-956269524626095673.post-36812254160173282122011-04-26T14:21:00.000-07:002011-04-26T14:23:32.595-07:00Dickinson, Themed PoetryConsidering Dickinson's poetry as structured by a series of general concerns (in this case, death, publication and marriage) is a common approach to her work. Look at the poems in one of these thematic groups and argue for what you think Dickinson is saying about it.<br /><br />--Death<br />--Marriage<br />--Publicationevelevjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06412797589175990830noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-956269524626095673.post-32443885166540334112011-04-23T19:55:00.000-07:002011-04-23T20:01:46.959-07:00Emily Dickinson, Published Poems & Nineteenth-century Women's Poetry<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBk0yjnxJID81ScwnOnoBjj8kAAOAv7L6hu54wIP7ks4vkIPPTYcZJfdR1ltQmUjduEgiyyl3eOnf6LxwQNvUqbIy6PjjSMTUo3UDkATwRVfQzoEL8F7ZBBPqzsprmqzJij6mcZ9SKpjn4/s1600/Dickinson.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 160px; height: 260px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBk0yjnxJID81ScwnOnoBjj8kAAOAv7L6hu54wIP7ks4vkIPPTYcZJfdR1ltQmUjduEgiyyl3eOnf6LxwQNvUqbIy6PjjSMTUo3UDkATwRVfQzoEL8F7ZBBPqzsprmqzJij6mcZ9SKpjn4/s320/Dickinson.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598978616447987074" border="0" /></a><br />--Emily Dickinson is paired with Whitman as the most important poets of nineteenth-century America and typically seen as radically different from her peers. There were many successful women poets of the period, Sigourney and Cary being relatively exemplary. Compare the Dickinson poems assigned for Monday with those of Sigourney and Cary. To what extent are Dickinson's poems significantly different in terms of form or content?<br /><br />--Dickinson published very few poems during her lifetime and the ones selected for today represent a majority of those. If you were to study just these poems, what do you think they would tell us about Dickinson as poet or person?evelevjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06412797589175990830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-956269524626095673.post-31664607515139082822011-04-21T07:41:00.001-07:002011-04-21T08:21:02.936-07:00Whiman, "Live Oak with Mosses" & "Children of Adam"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieOYQaxsARF2LipOBs5BAs3NaANuK45WwmTKZ6bIoR-8CDbeABg94REMZ7ZluY7ue36h0rYo9zAQ-DyuDGGWOaTRSE9xbIt8JQ1hOOnX_8YW93YVuX0GWjNpvSjVbtGwB4inqdeOsY95q9/s1600/liveoak.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 149px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieOYQaxsARF2LipOBs5BAs3NaANuK45WwmTKZ6bIoR-8CDbeABg94REMZ7ZluY7ue36h0rYo9zAQ-DyuDGGWOaTRSE9xbIt8JQ1hOOnX_8YW93YVuX0GWjNpvSjVbtGwB4inqdeOsY95q9/s320/liveoak.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598047063237250002" border="0" /></a>--This is an image of a live oak tree, after which Whitman named these poems. The live oak is notable not only for its size, but for its very extensive root system, which stops other trees from growing nearby. For that reason, it is an ambivalent symbol of individualism in these poems of "manly love."<br /><br />--How do these poems offer a different vision of Whitman's sense of his poetic self from that of "Song of Myself"?<br /><br />--These poems exist as a cycle, presumably narrating an experience of manly love. How would you describe the narrative here? Where is Whitman at the end of this cycle?<br /><br />--The editor suggests that Whitman didn't publish this sequence as it was drafted because it was "too direct" about homosexuality, but he did publish all of these poems, plus others about manly love in the "Calamus" section of the 1860 edition of <span style="font-style: italic;">Leaves of Grass</span>, so it doesn't seem that Whitman was shy about publishing a defense of homosexuality. The editor implicitly argues for the superiority of the "Live Oak, with Mosses" sequence as the original vision for the poems over those published. Which do you think should be privileged? The original vision or the published version?<br /><br />--Compare how Whitman imagines heterosexual love in "Children of Adam" to homosexual love in "Live Oak, with Mosses." How are relations between men and women figured differently than male-male love relations?evelevjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06412797589175990830noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-956269524626095673.post-81008950126363237892011-04-19T07:45:00.000-07:002011-04-19T07:57:57.594-07:00Whitman, "Out of the Cradle..." & "As I Ebb'd..."<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhco9O6VBvLQBm4nxqB3d2NMS4mPa0vtZyXSxxUJTZMNlBv4fzYhmm-W5Kom68-rMIohZ8_-TH0MpDGw9qxi2EgEGTZn-L_QABNuCKmT2MADfxLL1cALizBK2HoopmNEj4uk4MrncYqtfSD/s1600/lofg1860tpsmall.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhco9O6VBvLQBm4nxqB3d2NMS4mPa0vtZyXSxxUJTZMNlBv4fzYhmm-W5Kom68-rMIohZ8_-TH0MpDGw9qxi2EgEGTZn-L_QABNuCKmT2MADfxLL1cALizBK2HoopmNEj4uk4MrncYqtfSD/s320/lofg1860tpsmall.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597306458740870498" border="0" /></a>--This is the frontispiece of the 1860 edition of <span style="font-style: italic;">Leaves of Grass</span> from which the poems for next class come; bushy-bearded and greying, Whitman is less the "working-man poet" of 1855.<br /><br />--"Out of the Cradle..." tells a story of the poet's childhood, an experience of nature that seemingly initiates him into poetry, but it is not a triumphant or happy story, but a sad one of death and loss. How does death initiate Whitman into poetry in this poem? How does this present a different vision of nature's lesson for the romantics than what we've seen before?<br /><br />--In "As I Ebb'd..." Whitman presents himself in a moment of doubt and despair and finds a corollary to himself in the beach he walks upon, a notable counterpart to the grass of "Song of Myself." What does the beach say as a symbolic commentary about Whitman the poet? <br /><br />--In general, the 1860 poems mark a different view of Whitman: no longer heroically self-assertive, but doubting, grieving, self-questioning. Do you like this persona more or less than the earlier vision of the confident national bard embodying all?evelevjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06412797589175990830noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-956269524626095673.post-62424192416429661072011-04-17T10:53:00.000-07:002011-04-17T12:15:30.449-07:00Whitman, "Crossing Brooklyn Ferry" & Emerson's Letter<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGzeLOOrEwFY6B5wjQl6HXWU3ES5XHKugwXPSKB77pbP0GUsXPqG4-alhknA0l3epOGoZkSCdNgBS6j_-iT9wheNaQcRZ_KQWAkVLbjUDjB5Y1kjhyphenhyphenUynQhfpYkKD47AD2RxlCQ4BrATQJ/s1600/brooklyn.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGzeLOOrEwFY6B5wjQl6HXWU3ES5XHKugwXPSKB77pbP0GUsXPqG4-alhknA0l3epOGoZkSCdNgBS6j_-iT9wheNaQcRZ_KQWAkVLbjUDjB5Y1kjhyphenhyphenUynQhfpYkKD47AD2RxlCQ4BrATQJ/s320/brooklyn.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596618701009621746" border="0" /></a>--This is an image of NYC from Brooklyn Heights during late 1830s. Brooklyn was, at this time, a city unto itself (later incorporated in NYC) and one of the nation's largest but its population largely worked in NYC; in other words, it was a commuter city.<br /><br />--Think about commuting and how this poem imagines the relationship of the individual to the city, to the periodicity of commuting (going back and forth the same way every day) and time more generally (present and future).<br /><br />--evelevjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06412797589175990830noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-956269524626095673.post-14522869093472952522011-04-14T09:15:00.000-07:002011-04-14T09:30:14.150-07:00Whitman, "Song of Myself," Day #2--Last class, we talked about Whitman's attempt to bridge the divides, particularly between self and other through his poetry and we focused on "embodiment," the notion that the poet physically embodies the nation. Some of the other ways of imagining a way to bridge this divide is through observation, participation and even merging into the identity of others. Find a couple of examples of any of these in the poem (first half or later) and consider what you think of/how you respond to Whitman's engagement with other people.<br /><br />--One of the main divides that Whitman sought to break down is the conventional divide between body and soul, especially the privileging of soul over body and the vision of sex as demeaning or sinful. Select an example or two of images of sex here and consider what he is specifically saying about it.<br /><br />--At the end of the 1855 preface (which would not be included in subsequent editions of <span style="font-style: italic;">LoG</span>), Whitman asserts that the "proof of a poet is that his country absorbs him as affectionately as he has absorbed it" (2209). Do you think he is confident, anxious or discouraged about his prospects for this by the end of the poem?evelevjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06412797589175990830noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-956269524626095673.post-23765254381319932622011-04-12T08:27:00.000-07:002011-04-12T08:40:12.342-07:00Whitman and 19th century American Poetry<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN4Rv__LcxIoTobXbk1L8hQqP-4-3ewUQgSpvRF0dC4DpYVZ7d1JqIcozEoJyjQRUBcAAkLX3ra3-n0HdBN4nsROZJqmAgQcYvasrHUMWH6H9qPyyLZAOBe0zXZpt771znNgAv7GOP9O6J/s1600/Whitman-Leaves-of-Grass.gif"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 230px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN4Rv__LcxIoTobXbk1L8hQqP-4-3ewUQgSpvRF0dC4DpYVZ7d1JqIcozEoJyjQRUBcAAkLX3ra3-n0HdBN4nsROZJqmAgQcYvasrHUMWH6H9qPyyLZAOBe0zXZpt771znNgAv7GOP9O6J/s320/Whitman-Leaves-of-Grass.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594719441110334386" border="0" /></a>--This is the title page of the first edition of Whitman's "Leaves of Grass." Instead of an author's name, it had this image of Whitman in working-class garb and none of the poems were titled. It was clearly intended as something different from conventional poetry of the period.<br /><br />--Compare any of the comments on poetry offered in the section of Whitman's preface you read to examples from Longfellow, the most popular poet of the period. How does Whitman's vision of poetry differ from Longfellow's practice? Are there any similarities?<br /><br />--In the preface, Whitman offers an idealized model of the American nation and its people as "the greatest poem." How does his poem "Song of Myself" embody this principle in form or content?<br /><br />--Whitman presents himself as the American "bard," the poet as representative or speaker for the nation. How does he enact this principle in the poem? <br /><br />--"Song of Myself" is a long poem (when first published, it didn't have section numbers as it does now). Do you perceive any structuring principle or order, or does it feel like just a bunch of 'stuff'? If there is order, what do you perceive as the principle or logic of that order? If not, why write it this way?evelevjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06412797589175990830noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-956269524626095673.post-81646464985354930452011-04-09T22:42:00.000-07:002011-04-09T22:52:21.242-07:00Herman Melville, "Benito Cereno"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYss8kwCHTHvuPRXcdD0Soll5lkx2ky0QhY5Rj82x9Njpk90k-2AO312pnOw1C6xP53MAzlY71mmi9g2VSbTQ_D5Eu5gMd8XqAwRXWXecncUiRmPONdA0KfWRI8EVq3AIXB7VItKKX5iuX/s1600/Melville.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 235px; height: 215px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYss8kwCHTHvuPRXcdD0Soll5lkx2ky0QhY5Rj82x9Njpk90k-2AO312pnOw1C6xP53MAzlY71mmi9g2VSbTQ_D5Eu5gMd8XqAwRXWXecncUiRmPONdA0KfWRI8EVq3AIXB7VItKKX5iuX/s320/Melville.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5593826557309801506" border="0" /></a><br />--An image of Melville, who had a brief career as a sailor previous to becoming an author.<br /><br />--This story takes off from a real historical event, but spins it in a slightly different direction. Told from the perspective of the American captain Amasa Delano, it is a story about slavery and racial violence, but the story's point about these subjects is not necessarily those put forward by Delano himself (as he proves to be not the most observant man). What do you take to be the lesson or point of this story?<br /><br />--"Follow Your Leader" is the motto that carries multiple meanings here, invoking Aranda, Babo, and maybe even the Spanish who first "discovered" the Americas (and brought African slavery to the continent as well). What do you think is its meaning?evelevjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06412797589175990830noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-956269524626095673.post-85123116857902255142011-04-07T04:22:00.000-07:002011-04-07T04:28:01.539-07:00Hawthorne, "House of Seven Gables," Day #3--The story has been, from the preface onward, about breaking a cycle of injustice begun with the Puritans. While the Pyncheons may have misused their temporal authority to steak the Maules land and have the first Maule killed, the Maules have also apparently misused their supernatural powers, killing Alice Pyncheon. How does the end resolve this? To what degree do you find this a satisfactory resolution?<br /><br />--In the end, the politics of the two 'artist' characters seem to reverse: Clifford becomes a radical and Holgrave more conservative. What do you think Hawthorne is saying about the possibilities of radical transformation of American society here?evelevjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06412797589175990830noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-956269524626095673.post-91024122908405514442011-04-05T11:39:00.001-07:002011-04-05T11:51:46.620-07:00Hawthorne, "House of Seven Gables," Day #2<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb_uAXgoP0bJfFdRGGrwXUvvHB3nIvAF9XnAGhIjCW7I43Y1ZMM_UjP1fExWDKHseGQNDfPbr6FHuedP0rOrl2-0IREFWahBTmRxAay1BqDRqvSmuWCc-AZFm9hyUm6zEnxhWW3hUJWt_9/s1600/mesmerist.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 310px; height: 244px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb_uAXgoP0bJfFdRGGrwXUvvHB3nIvAF9XnAGhIjCW7I43Y1ZMM_UjP1fExWDKHseGQNDfPbr6FHuedP0rOrl2-0IREFWahBTmRxAay1BqDRqvSmuWCc-AZFm9hyUm6zEnxhWW3hUJWt_9/s320/mesmerist.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592171045046157106" border="0" /></a>--This is an image of a mesmerist, doing his "stuff," realigning the magnetic currents within his patient. Holgrave is described as being a mesmerist and his telling of his story is supposed to affected Phoebe.<br /><br />--Discuss Clifford, the lover of beauty. What does Hawthorne seem to think of Clifford's aestheticism, his drive to only experience that which is beautiful? What do you make of his experience at the arched window and why does Hawthorne seem to endorse Clifford's attempt to jump out and join the crowd below?<br /><br />--Like Clifford, Holgrave is a figure of the artist (the narrator repeats calls him "artist"). What are his political views and what is the narrator's attitude toward them? How would we compare him and his attitude toward others to Clifford?<br /><br />--The story "Alice Pyncheon" tells part of the history of the Pyncheon-Maule conflict: what is its lesson? In the telling of the story, we seem to have a recapitulation or re-enacting of the dynamic of the story--Holgrave has the opportunity to put Phoebe under his spell. Why does he not do so? What does this story, with its parallel between mesmerism and storytelling/writing, have to say about the artist and writing?evelevjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06412797589175990830noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-956269524626095673.post-6064835149829584162011-03-31T17:58:00.000-07:002011-03-31T18:06:30.536-07:00Hawthorne, House of Seven Gables, Day #1--In his preface, Hawthorne sets out famous, but rather confusing terms for his narrative as a "romance," which is differentiated from a novel by its divergence from the "probable" and "ordinary," instead focusing on something less conventional or realistic--more like a legend. Yet, Hawthorne claims that the romance can't be too different or it fails. In what ways do you see the narrative fitting Hawthorne's own strictures for the romance so far?<br /><br />--Compare the way the narrator describes Hepzibah, the somewhat absurd old New England spinster maid, and Jaffrey, the impressive New England judge. What does this comparison suggest about Hawthorne's vision ofcharacter and personality?<br /><br />--Clifford Pyncheon has been seen by some critics as a model of the failed artist, reflecting Hawthorne's vision of what the artist must be like (that is, something other than Clifford). What is it that Clifford lacks that makes him a great appreciator of beauty, but not an artist himself?evelevjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06412797589175990830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-956269524626095673.post-29854643793695211882011-03-24T09:45:00.000-07:002011-03-24T09:57:21.098-07:00Stoddard, "Lemorne vs. Huell"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgftlMF0CQ2EKH2Tn9H8SbhgAhGuifsdXln60uX4GLzvyJ36dRDxD0hjjx0nzBIZBDICtoo3z7GQfVuHmDI4N2dUy1oCML3-6nnZ0IWvh-f-Cm9mIj3BujBGPbyW-QUFpltRTpfHDPsQ8-G/s1600/Newport_Coastline.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 247px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgftlMF0CQ2EKH2Tn9H8SbhgAhGuifsdXln60uX4GLzvyJ36dRDxD0hjjx0nzBIZBDICtoo3z7GQfVuHmDI4N2dUy1oCML3-6nnZ0IWvh-f-Cm9mIj3BujBGPbyW-QUFpltRTpfHDPsQ8-G/s320/Newport_Coastline.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587689827418970178" border="0" /></a>--This is an image of the coastline in Newport, RI, where much of this story is set. Newport was a resort of the ultra-rich in the period of the story.<br /><br />--The story is titled after a lawsuit that involves several of the main characters, but it is ostensibly a love story that ends in marriage. How is the love story not just entangled in, but actually parallel or metaphoric of the lawsuit (i.e., how is romance like a lawsuit?)?<br /><br />--How is love and/or desire represented here? Compare its vision of romance to that depicted in <span style="font-style: italic;">The Coquette?</span> What does it tell us about differences between Enlightenment and Romantic notions of love?<br /><br />--The story ends strangely, from out of a dream. How does it comment on the love story and/or relations between the sexes?evelevjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06412797589175990830noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-956269524626095673.post-83340673446502319112011-03-22T07:13:00.000-07:002011-03-22T07:27:07.756-07:00Women's Rights Writings: Grimke, Stanton, Fern<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGqfofbuZop17ZaX3BcqURzlQ1lVWHkjDcYtQEt4mkkcZcWYfDFn-g22cUEk-33bRJWenxn5TCKwdHrn8pwx3Q9J-HLXFA-7HTYPeR6Mc4viffQk58igtf14RHaEAj3DR3pfmjoFUwjVWU/s1600/Fern.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 104px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGqfofbuZop17ZaX3BcqURzlQ1lVWHkjDcYtQEt4mkkcZcWYfDFn-g22cUEk-33bRJWenxn5TCKwdHrn8pwx3Q9J-HLXFA-7HTYPeR6Mc4viffQk58igtf14RHaEAj3DR3pfmjoFUwjVWU/s320/Fern.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586907847893460850" border="0" /></a>--This is an example of the way Fern's work would have appeared: in a newspaper column. By the 1850s, she was receiving the contemporary equivalent of $5000 per column!<br /><br />--In her letter to Catharine Beecher (Harriet Beecher Stowe's sister, an important advocate for women's education, but also someone who argued <span style="font-style: italic;">against</span> women's equality), Grimke demonstrates the linkage between abolition and women's rights. Consider the means by which she constructs her argument for women's equality to men and whether or not such an argument would still be an effective tool of persuasion.<br /><br />--Stanton's "Declaration of Sentiments" is a direct appropriation of Jefferson's "Declaration of Independence": how effective is it to shift the focus (without changing much of the language, at least in the beginning part)? What is your reaction to the list of injustices, this time directed not to the King of England but to a universal manhood ("he")?<br /><br />--Fern's various pieces are intended for a wider popular audience and are meant to be funny, but also reflect an interest in women's rights as well. What are the underlying issues for gender inequality for Fern and how does she recommend that her readers address them?evelevjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06412797589175990830noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-956269524626095673.post-23127013968069522642011-03-19T13:59:00.000-07:002011-03-19T14:13:28.849-07:00Frederick Douglass, Narrative, Day #2--Douglass' comments about religion throughout the text were negative enough that he feels obliged to write an appendix qualifying and explaining his views. But does the appendix in your view minimize or, to the contrary, make his critique more general? Some scholars have argued that the appendix functions as a jeremiad: do you agree or disagree with this?<br /><br />--Douglass describes his experience with the 'slave-breaker' Mr. Covey as central to his later escape, restoring his sense of manhood. Earlier, he described his witnessing of Aunt Hester being whipped as his entry into slavery. To what extent does Douglass present being enslaved as being feminized and being free as masculinized?<br /><br />--Even before he escapes slavery, Douglass discusses the meaning of labor and the significance of being paid for work. How does his vision of labor function as a critique of the slave economy and the morality of slavery?evelevjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06412797589175990830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-956269524626095673.post-543714084225096002011-03-17T07:50:00.000-07:002011-03-17T08:02:33.760-07:00Frederick Douglass, Narrative, Day #1<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEievL-LsLfzhrYgWU_X0wlqLbWh0MkXO_bZgF0NBgLYuRaAvQfx74rH8ZBtYbzPSpy8LIQ8f0Q5R5Ld6UBXX35XNfE80zjznitRV1MjjMYsWWWsqorYjBTVclwpaQQAtGawZK9j2UPdCO7a/s1600/Douglass.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 222px; height: 204px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEievL-LsLfzhrYgWU_X0wlqLbWh0MkXO_bZgF0NBgLYuRaAvQfx74rH8ZBtYbzPSpy8LIQ8f0Q5R5Ld6UBXX35XNfE80zjznitRV1MjjMYsWWWsqorYjBTVclwpaQQAtGawZK9j2UPdCO7a/s320/Douglass.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585061660418666146" border="0" /></a>--Like Rowlandson's captivity narrative, Douglass' slave narrative came to readers with authenticating prefaces by culturally sanctioned authorities who contextualize his work. How do these prefaces work to explain, justify or even belittle (however inadvertently) Douglass' writing?<br /><br />--Douglass' slave narrative is also an autobiography, an account of his life, and thus can be compared to other such narratives; for this class, we can compare it easily to Franklin's autobiography. Compare the first chapters of both narratives and explore how the condition of slavery affects Douglass' ability to write his life.<br /><br />--How does Douglass try to capture the reality of the experience of slavery in his writing? What are some of his literary techniques? Compare his arguments against slavery to those we read last class (Walker, Garrison, & Grimke): who does he most resemble?evelevjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06412797589175990830noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-956269524626095673.post-73175863790310576362011-03-15T09:11:00.000-07:002011-03-15T09:20:43.577-07:00Abolitionist Readings: Walker, Garrison, Grimke & Whittier<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-cGasnZxnhOfqV8PJnDhOSRpIKc8imVpQENzwPxmtuC4NYPrU8UQ23Yd1e3LDf5vfKc_lOyyIU5L5KkwIo3iMwpoZSZ_Fl9rm2LJH3sTOrsMVcnHJ_NgchWUgXCh2Lyah_ERgbsBZyGZB/s1600/MAAS.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 250px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-cGasnZxnhOfqV8PJnDhOSRpIKc8imVpQENzwPxmtuC4NYPrU8UQ23Yd1e3LDf5vfKc_lOyyIU5L5KkwIo3iMwpoZSZ_Fl9rm2LJH3sTOrsMVcnHJ_NgchWUgXCh2Lyah_ERgbsBZyGZB/s320/MAAS.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584340203998200146" border="0" /></a>--This day's reading is a selection of a range of abolitionist voices, reflecting the different identities and different strategies that went into antebellum abolition.<br /><br />--Written at least in part in response to the work of Jefferson, David Walker's <span style="font-style: italic;">Appeal</span> can be compared to Enlightenment protest texts, especially Paine's <span style="font-style: italic;">Common Sense</span>. How does Walker use both reason and emotional calls to his readers to inspire abolition? Also, you could compare Walker to Equiano's abolitionism.<br /><br />--Garrison makes an impassioned argument for abolition, invoking Jefferson's "Declaration." What are similarities and differences here between Garrison and Jefferson's text?<br /><br />--Grimke offers a distinctively feminine reaction to the issue of slavery. How does she respond to the tradition of republican motherhood that we saw earlier in the term?<br /><br />--Whittier uses poetry for his abolitionist critique. How does poetry work differently than the prose models read alongside this to forward abolitionism?evelevjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06412797589175990830noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-956269524626095673.post-20526377348552273622011-03-11T19:04:00.000-08:002011-03-14T08:29:11.217-07:00Thoreau, Walden, Day #2<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG2xLjllOk_8iERZCJPObeyNhXJhzzIMpKgyh0A8yp8fs3LrIGdBi-RqzOryYDqQjrRhxpFzlVJFZ01EUW0oLhyphenhyphenauAAOYl9LMnKavSj8mgpwzX2arCOBmOJ-6791kHHrEtpCICBrxKJFXk/s1600/pond.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 275px; height: 183px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG2xLjllOk_8iERZCJPObeyNhXJhzzIMpKgyh0A8yp8fs3LrIGdBi-RqzOryYDqQjrRhxpFzlVJFZ01EUW0oLhyphenhyphenauAAOYl9LMnKavSj8mgpwzX2arCOBmOJ-6791kHHrEtpCICBrxKJFXk/s320/pond.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583024393052308066" border="0" /></a><br />--In "The Pond in Winter," Thoreau seems to express contradictory views about the supposed 'bottomlessness' of Walden pond that reflects upon whether or not we think nature is knowable. Why is it good that people believe Walden to be bottomless? Is it a contradiction that Thoreau can measure its depth relatively easily?<br /><br />--In "Spring," Thoreau focuses on the lessons derived from examining sand flowing on a melting railway embankment. What are the lessons of this experience and what do they say not only about nature, but also about man?<br /><br />--In "Conclusion," Thoreau summarizes his experiences, offering lessons. What are the lessons of his experience? Also, critics have discussed whether T offers his experience to the widest possible audience or to a specialized few. Which do you see evidence for in the conclusion?evelevjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06412797589175990830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-956269524626095673.post-50742340759736196332011-03-10T07:06:00.000-08:002011-03-10T07:18:01.150-08:00Thoreau, Walden, Day #1<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh48zIQ871p6iU67SMtNCo7jERmmN7jvAnXE0rIQ2qAHLsAhd0jya89GDvo0gzK3_REM9djP90fyWpzn_PsALvb6xSHG8XGX98JiDrYdsCUBfcndXOt8EL-f-DXhDmo6ta0OvVWQqo26p54/s1600/cabin.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 259px; height: 194px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh48zIQ871p6iU67SMtNCo7jERmmN7jvAnXE0rIQ2qAHLsAhd0jya89GDvo0gzK3_REM9djP90fyWpzn_PsALvb6xSHG8XGX98JiDrYdsCUBfcndXOt8EL-f-DXhDmo6ta0OvVWQqo26p54/s320/cabin.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582467959067776274" border="0" /></a><br />--This is a restored version of the interior of Thoreau's Cabin at Walden pond.<br /><br />--In what ways are Thoreau's comments on deciding to live at Walden a reflection of Emerson's ideas about individualism in "Self-Reliance"?<br /><br />--In "Reading," Thoreau develops a theory of reading and education. Compare it with your own vision of the purpose of reading and/or getting an education.<br /><br />--"Sounds" discusses the railroad that travels quite near his cabin (suggesting first that this is no retreat into the wilderness); it is commonly read as emblematic or symbolic of technology more generally for Thoreau. What is his attitude toward the railroad? What are its positive and negative qualities? What does this suggest more generally about Transcendentalist attitudes toward technology?evelevjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06412797589175990830noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-956269524626095673.post-80232050785796909592011-03-08T09:31:00.000-08:002011-03-08T09:40:29.976-08:00Emerson, "Self-Reliance" (& Crawford)--Emerson's "Self-Reliance" is a classic statement of American romantic individualism. As such, it is an interesting comparison to Franklin's Enlightenment version. How would you compare the two in terms of attitudes toward religion? What about attitudes toward 'virtue' (a term they share) or social responsibility?<br /><br />--Crawford's comments on self-reliance come from a work about the loss of technical training in our educational system and, with it, a loss of independence and autonomy in our lives (in short, we are too used to having everything done for us). How does Crawford's view on self-reliance differ from Emerson's? Do you agree or disagree with Crawford? If you disagree, what do you think self-reliance should mean in our current day?evelevjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06412797589175990830noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-956269524626095673.post-65719981398856532032011-03-06T11:23:00.000-08:002011-03-06T11:32:08.588-08:00Bryant & Cole--Poetry & Painting<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha6uoqr9ftmDY3ft1S2Q2mozKWRpmlXqaewBrvsJ5UYSbJnqco2Wr813cpppOZ55kv1s4gq94ar2pNJDOZsf2dz_CCNtLeVz8Y9s3WBN48L0IZ-voeos-S-LG_0XjxY2vo1hSRds-q9BkK/s1600/oxbow.jpg"><span style="font-weight: bold;">This painting is Cole's famous "Oxbow"--it depicts the Connecticut River Valley area. Landscape paintings don't necessarily have much in the way of narrative, but many scholars have highlighted the way the river takes the form of a question mark and, with it, seems to ask a question about American development on our attitude toward the landscape. What do you think Cole is saying here?</span></a><br />--Bryant's poem "The Prairies" is very much about the history of the native peoples who lived in Illinois previously. How does Bryant envision their history and how does his vision of the future settlement of the land by whites fit into that history?<br />--The poem is framed by Bryant's solitary experience of the empty prairie landscape. What is his perspective on the landscape? What does being alone out there mean to him? What do you think is the over-arching tone (happy, sad, or something else) to the poem?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha6uoqr9ftmDY3ft1S2Q2mozKWRpmlXqaewBrvsJ5UYSbJnqco2Wr813cpppOZ55kv1s4gq94ar2pNJDOZsf2dz_CCNtLeVz8Y9s3WBN48L0IZ-voeos-S-LG_0XjxY2vo1hSRds-q9BkK/s1600/oxbow.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 271px; height: 186px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha6uoqr9ftmDY3ft1S2Q2mozKWRpmlXqaewBrvsJ5UYSbJnqco2Wr813cpppOZ55kv1s4gq94ar2pNJDOZsf2dz_CCNtLeVz8Y9s3WBN48L0IZ-voeos-S-LG_0XjxY2vo1hSRds-q9BkK/s320/oxbow.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581050092173778866" border="0" /></a>evelevjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06412797589175990830noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-956269524626095673.post-30297606493878043552011-03-03T08:41:00.000-08:002011-03-03T08:48:12.341-08:00Irving, "Rip Van Winkle"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnnSOvvqmZKNR3blAXtCVQsqUGBMb7-ssWGh1X5eC3kGJYZn_R431MvHSnKVxMSwpRTpsWvOZeMcsSbGiHjFYya3OsZWG0r9C5xL5Te3qRx-mX9LjeVBOnBdlPCKUdHbTqBP6u3BltpkZR/s1600/Winkle.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 248px; height: 203px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnnSOvvqmZKNR3blAXtCVQsqUGBMb7-ssWGh1X5eC3kGJYZn_R431MvHSnKVxMSwpRTpsWvOZeMcsSbGiHjFYya3OsZWG0r9C5xL5Te3qRx-mX9LjeVBOnBdlPCKUdHbTqBP6u3BltpkZR/s320/Winkle.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579894932627717586" border="0" /></a><br />--This is a famous story which even people who haven't read it know in general outline, but many people find the details of the story surprising or unusual. If this was your first reading, what did you find surprising or notable here?<br /><br />--This story is, in part, a commentary on the transition from colony to nationhood in America. What is the attitude toward that transition?<br /><br />--Compare the fondly nostalgic tone here to the spirit of the Enlightenment that we saw in our previous section's readings.evelevjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06412797589175990830noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-956269524626095673.post-7304388639128155652011-02-27T11:16:00.000-08:002011-02-27T11:30:37.651-08:00Foster, The Coquette, Day #3--There are a number of different morals offered up for Eliza's end by different characters in the novel. But is this really the moral that Foster wants us to derive from Eliza's story?<br /><br />--In Letter LII, Lucy Sumner complains of seeing "Romeo & Juliet," suggesting that "Are there not real woes...sufficient to to exercise our sympathy and pity, without introducing fictitious ones into our very diversions?" (870). How do we consider Foster's own introduction of tragedy, even fact-based, to her audience? Is Foster critiquing the kind of narrative she herself has written, or endorsing it?evelevjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06412797589175990830noreply@blogger.com4