You have been exposed to several different accounts of “American” experiences in the texts you have read for this unit. Keeping in mind the many changes which took place after the Civil War and up to WWI (1865-1914), examine the prompt below in context with the literature you have read in this section.
PROMPT: Choose ONE of the authors and works you read for Unit #1. Write a short analysis of the work examining the use of at least ONE literary element within the work (ex: symbolism, tone, metaphor, etc.). Contextualize the work within the larger historical scope using historical or biographical details from the author’s life.
SOME QUESTIONS TO THINK ABOUT:
• How does the author and work show social, political, or economic change in America?
• How does the author and work fit OR not fit with the new “American” identity?
• How does the author and work help shape new American ideals?
You should have a clear thesis and main ideas. You should expand on these with solid evidence FROM THE TEXT. Use specific words, phrases, or passages to support your claims, and expand on them with in-depth analysis.
AUTHOR CHOICES:
• Walt Whitman: “Song of Myself”
• Kate Chopin: “The Story of an Hour”
• Zitkala Sa: From “The School Days of an Indian Girl,” part I, II, and V”
Your essay must be 1.5 – 2 pages in length, and is due by SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 5 by 11:59 pm.
*Please remember that all essays will be checked for plagiarism through the Safe Assign Database.
*Also, please note that the page requirements means it must be to the middle of the second page at minimum.
You will be assessed on the following criteria:
• Careful, close analysis of literary work and its major concepts, as well as of the author’s identity and historical contextualization.
• Ample concrete evidence used to support claims from the primary source.
• Proper page length, MLA formatting, and citations.
• Fully developed essay structure, including significant introduction, clear main ideas, and conclusion.
• Careful and clear organization of all ideas.
Helpful ideas when writing this essay…
Consider any combination of the following literary elements when writing your analysis:
• Characterization
o Archetypes
o Protagonist/Antagonist
o Major/secondary
o Development (flat; static; round; dynamic)
• Literary Devices
o Simile
o Metaphor
o Personification
o Irony
o Foreshadowing
o Flashbacks
• Structure
o Dramatic arc
o Conflict
o Solution/resolution/dénouement
o Point of View (POV)/narrator
• Literary Concepts
o Theme
o Symbol
o Motif
o Allusion
o Style
• Historical Contextualization
o Author
o Work
o Historical events
o Historical social/ethical/moral issues discussed in the text
o Etc.
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