Alvarez, "Daughter of Invention"

Read "Daughter of Invention" (995)

1.         The narrator’s mother is fond of English-language aphorisms (brief, wise   sayings), but she gets them slightly wrong.  Provide corrected versions of  at least three of these sayings.

2.         What conflicts does the father face in this story?  Why do you think the father does not want his daughter to challenge authority?

3.         A good title often has what might be called resonance—it echoes with meaning. In a paragraph, explain how Alvarez’s title touches on (a) a   humorous detail of the story, (b) a theme of the story, and (c) the climax of the story.

4.         Creative writing: Choose one of the mother’s incorrect aphorisms. Write a short story where the incorrect saying would make sense as the moral of the story. This should be at least 8-10 sentences long; include some dialogue between the characters.

5.         What characteristics of Postmodern Literature appear in this story?

Contemporary Poetry

What characteristics of Postmodern Literature are evident in this Billy Collins poem? (See the list in your notes)


Read the poem "The Bean Eaters" by Gwendolyn Brooks, and answer the following:

1. Find and label at least five poetic devices within the poem. Examples of poetic devices:

a.        Alliteration

b.        Rhyme scheme

c.        Repetition

d.        Symbolism

e.        Onomatopoeia

f.         Imagery

g.        Internal rhyme

h.        Figures of speech (simile, metaphor, personification)

2. Create a visual representation of your poem.

3. How is this poem representative of the Contemporary movement (what characteristics of Contemporary literature do you see)?  Cite specific examples from your poem (with line numbers) in your answer.

Modernism Quiz

Quiz on Modernism--Review the following

Elements of Modernism

·       Emphasis on bold experimentation in style and form, reflecting the fragmentation of society

·       Rejection of traditional themes, subjects, and forms

·       Sense of disillusionment and loss of faith in the American Dream

·       Rejection of sentimentality and artificiality

·       Rejection of the ideal of a hero as infallible in favor of a hero who is flawed and disillusioned but shows “grace under pressure” (the Hemingway Hero)

·       Interest in the inner workings of the human mind, sometimes expressed through new narrative techniques, such as stream of consciousness

·       Revolt against the spiritual debasement of the modern world

Modern Literature:

Poetry: William Carlos Williams (665-669), T.S. Eliot (655), Ezra Pound (649)

Harlem Renaissance Poetry: Countee Cullen (819-821)

            Langston Hughes (825-833)

Short Fiction: Ernest Hemingway (685-691), In Our Time

            William Faulkner (720-727)

Novels: F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

            John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men

Danticat, "The Book of the Dead"

Read the introduction to Contemporary Literature in the textbook (886-905). In your notes, write the elements on Postmodern Literature from p. 899.

“The Book of the Dead”, Edwidge Danticat (1048)

Answer the following questions :

• What basic irony is at the heart of this story--how is Annie's father the opposite of the heroic figure she admired? 
• At the beginning of the story, what does the sculpture symbolize for Annie? What does the same sculpture symbolize for Gabrielle Fonteneau? 
• Explain the dramatic irony that builds during the luncheon at the Fonteneaus' house. In other words, what do we know the the Fonteneaus do not? 
• On a non-literal level, what does the title of the story mean? How would you state the story's theme--what truth about life does it reveal? 
• What features of Contemporary Literature are shown in this story?

Harlem Renaissance poetry

Read the introduction to the Harlem Renaissance in the textbook (816-7).

Read the following poems:
Countee Cullen, "Tableau" and "Incident"
Langston Hughes, "The Weary Blues", "Harlem" (see below), and "The Negro Speaks of Rivers"






Harlem
Langston Hughes

Here on the edge of hell Stands Harlem— Remembering the old lies, The old kicks in the back, The old “Be patient” They told us before. Sure, we remember. Now when the man at the corner store Says sugar’s gone up another two cents, And bread one, And there’s a new tax on cigarettes— We remember the job we never had, Never could get, And can’t have now Because we’re colored. So we stand here On the edge of hell In Harlem And look out on the world And wonder What we’re gonna do In the face of what We remember.        Explain where Cullen and Hughes have each included issues or topics unique to African Americans in the 1920s.  Sample issues/topics to look for: a.       Racism b.      African American culture (jazz music, traditional African American religious hymns, Biblical stories, famous African Americans) c.       African American history, especially slavery d.      City life Read one of the following poems: Jean Toomer, "Portrait in Georgia", "Reapers", "Song of the Son", "Storm Ending" or Claude McKay, "America", "The Barrier", "Harlem Shadows" (All are available online). Label this question with the title you have chosen. a. Describe the basic situation of the poem (What happens? Who are the characters?). b.                        What is the overall tone of the poem? What words show this? c. How does your poem reflect characteristics of Harlem Renaissance poetry?        Read “I Hear America Singing” on p. 364 of the textbook.  Look at “I, Too” below.  Explain what Hughes is saying in his response to Whitman. I, Too   by Langston Hughes I, too, sing America. I am the darker brother. They send me to eat in the kitchen When company comes, But I laugh, And eat well, And grow strong. Tomorrow, I'll be at the table When company comes. Nobody'll dare Say to me, "Eat in the kitchen," Then. Besides, They'll see how beautiful I am And be ashamed-- I, too, am America.

Of Mice and Men, film

Watch the film version of Of Mice and Men.

Of Mice and Men, review

Brochure

Create a three-column brochure advertising the novel to someone who has never read it. Use one piece of construction paper and fold it into thirds. The columns are numbered from left to right.

Include the following information:

Side 1 Column 3
Title page – this is the opening page of the brochure. Include the title of the novel, the author’s name, and a picture. Make this visually appealing.

Side 1 Column 2
Publishing information – describe when and where you published this brochure. Include your name.

Side 1 Column 1
Summary of plot – write a short, catchy summary of the plot of the novel. Do not spoil anything for someone who has not read it.

Side 2 Column 1
Characters – list and describe the characters.

Side 2 Columns 2, 3
Themes – briefly describe how the novel deals with two of the themes listed. Write about one theme in each column. For each theme, include at least three specific examples from the novel, with page numbers.

• The American Dream
• Loneliness 
• Friendship 
• Innocence 
• Discrimination
• The Predatory Nature of Human Existence
• Fraternity and the Idealized Male Friendship
• The Corrupting Power of Women
• Strength and Weakness