English 2235: American Literature II: 1865 to the Present

Spring 2001 / Section 1

Essay #1 / Option #1

Write an essay of 3-4 pages (900-1200 words) in which you do a close reading and analysis of one of the texts we’ve read from the beginning of the semester up to the spring break—i.e. Mark Twain through Langston Hughes.  Please do not do research as you write your essay—work closely with the text itself.

Begin by picking a text that you really liked, or one that really intrigued you for some reason.  Then, read it again and really start to think about what the author “does” and why he or she did it that way.  For example, you might look at Twain’s novel, Huckleberry Finn, and notice that Huck seems different when he’s on the river compared to when he’s on the land.  You might then think about why this is so, why Twain might have written this character this way, or what Twain might have been intending to show by the differences.  Speculate!  Theorize!  Hypothesize!  Try to come up with a reason (or several possible reasons) to explain your observation and then look back to the text for “evidence” (scenes, dialogue, description, etc.) to support your views.

You can pick a text and a “line of analysis” on your own, you might use one of the following suggestions, or you might consider one of the following suggestions as a “jumping off point,” leading you to something you might not have thought of initially.  Just limit yourself to the authors we’ve read.

Essay #1 / Option #2

Write an essay of 3-4 pages (900-1200 words) in which you “connect” one of the writers in the Norton Anthology of American Literature that we did not read to one that we did read.  Please do not do research as you write your essay—work closely with the texts you select.

As you consider the two writers or texts you’ve chosen, look for both similarities and differences – in subject matter, in characters, in themes, in plots, in symbols, in writing style, etc.  Perhaps even seek to discover why the writers are both considered to be “realistic,” or “romantic,” or “local color,” or “naturalistic,” or modern.”

Then, in an essay, present your analysis – what did you discover through your comparison of the two texts?  Perhaps present the apparent similarities first.  Then, the apparent differences.  And, finally, and maybe most importantly, the lesser apparent similarities and differences.

Choose from the following pairings (any other pairings require prior approval from me):

 

©2001 Scott Stankey / All rights reserved
Last revised on October 29, 2007 by Scott Stankey
Please address comments to Stankesc@an.cc.mn.us