Florida Southwestern State College Transcendentalism Literary Movement Essay
Question Description
Purpose and Background:
In this unit, you learned about the importance of self-reliance and independence in the American Identity. Thoreau and Emerson embraced the literary movement known as Transcendentalism which is clearly seen in their writings while Whitman embraced the idea of Nationalism in his poem “I Hear America Singing.” Hemingway explored many different themes in “Indian Camp” including cross-cultural encounters, coming of age, and mortality. In “A Dark Brown Dog” Crane uses an allegory to illustrate the way African Americans were treated during and after the Reconstruction. Alice Walker explores the importance of tradition and heritage in discovering one’s own identity in “Everyday Use.” Finally, Brooks looks at social inequality in “We Real Cool,” and Dickinson and Rich explore the feminist search for identity in “508” and “Diving into the Wreck.”
For your first major writing assignment, you will choose a topic from the list below and write a formal academic essay addressing the chosen prompt.
This assignment is aligned with the following objectives:
MO 6.1 Analyze literary works exploration of the human condition and the ethical and cultural problems of the time, and consider how such issues continue to resonate in the contemporary world.
MO 6.2 Evaluate and interpret literary works from ethical, social, cultural, historical, philosophical, artistic, and/or biographical perspectives.
Mo 6.3 Communicate clearly in a variety of modes and media.
MO 6.4 Demonstrate continuing mastery of grammar, usage, and diction.
Mo 6.5 Analyze information within the style of academic prose writing, and, in general, develop their ability to join in a scholarly conversation.
MO 6.6 Demonstrate the ability to communicate effectively.
MO 6.7 Demonstrate the ability to analyze communication critically.
MO 6.8 Demonstrate the ability to compose arguments on a variety of literary topics within the genres of short fiction, poetry, and drama
Instructions:
Now that you have completed Unit II on the American Identity, you will have a chance to reflect upon these readings, do more research, and compose a 700 word essay on ONE of these topics:
Topic 1:
Transcendentalism and Thoreau and Emerson
Research the literary movement known as Transcendentalism. Define the term and discuss its historical context. Then show how Emerson and Thoreau embraced this movement in Self-Reliance and Walden.
Topic 2
Choose one or two themes in the story “Indian Camp” and write an essay illustrating how the theme is expressed in the story. You may focus on any of the themes listed below or you can come up with another theme.
- Discuss the theme of life and death in Indian Camp.
- Discuss the theme of growing up in Indian Camp.
- Discuss the theme of masculinity in Indian Camp.
- Discuss the theme of cross-cultural encounters in Indian Camp.
Topic 3
Historical Context and A Dark Brown Dog
Describe the historical context of the Reconstruction Amendments and show how Crane represents the small child’s attempted protection (Federal legislation or amendments) as not enough to overcome the more powerful violence and hatred from the Jim Crow laws in the South (represented by the father).
Topic 4
West Indian Culture in Girl.
Research the colonization of the Caribbean islands and show how Kincaid depicts the traditions of her West Indian culture that developed and was preserved despite colonial rule.
Topic 5
Is Everyday Use autobiographical?
Some critics believe there is a little bit of Alice Walker in each of the three characters in this story. Research Walkers life, and cite examples from her life to support this theory. Which character do you identify with most? Why?
Or
Discuss the use of symbols in “Everyday Use.” Choose two or three symbols and explain how they reinforce the themes of culture and heritage.
Topic 6
American Nationalism and Whitman
Define American Nationalism as it was viewed in Whitmans time. Show how I Hear America Singing could be a symbol of this type of Nationalism.
Topic 7
Dickinson’s search for identity in “508”
Dickinsons poem illustrates questioning ones identity and societal expectations and finally rejecting or changing some of them to fit into ones own life and identity. This extends to the desire to shape religion and spirituality to fit ones own life and identity.
Explore what it was l like for a woman in Dickinsons time. In what ways does this poem illustrate how Dickinsons view of herself and her life differ from what society expected of women during that time period?
Topic 8
Social inequality in Brook’s poems
Read Brooks’s poem “The Lovers of the Poor” and then compare it with “We Real Cool.” What do the two poems have to say about social inequality, economic deprivation, segregation, and discrimination? With this questions in mind, craft a well-developed essay on the social ramifications of both works.
Topic 9
Male/Female Relationships in “Diving into the Wreck”
What does this poem suggest about the relationships between men and women? How might the poem be relevant to historical changes that were taking place in those relationships during the era in which the poem was written? Do some research into the kinds of changes that were occurring then and discuss the poem in light of those changes.
Or
Discuss the use of metaphors to reinforce the theme of the search for identity.
Requirements
- Essay length: 700-800 words.
- Total number of sources on works cited page: Minimum of 3
- Total number of sources on the works cited page from the literary databases: Minimum of 2
- Total number of in-text citations from a source other than the text using either a signal phrase or a parenthetical citation: 4-6
- Total number of textual references or quotes: 3-5
- Double space
- Heading
- Title
- Underlined Thesis
- Section Dividers (Optional but Suggested)
- All citations and the works cited page must be in proper MLA format.
- Essay length: 700-800 words.
- Total number of sources on works cited page: Minimum of 3
- Total number of sources on the works cited page from the literary databases: Minimum of 2
- Total number of in-text citations from a source other than the text using either a signal phrase or a parenthetical citation: 4-6
- Total number of textual references or quotes: 3-5
Tips:
- Your introductory paragraph should accomplish the following:
- Introduce the author and the title of the work or works being discussed.
- Brief biographical information about the author.
- Clearly stated thesis introducing the topic and presenting your main points.
- Body paragraphs should develop the thesis statement using transitional sentences to move from one section to the next.
- Review the MLA module and make sure all of your citations are in proper MLA format.
- Make sure the only sources listed on the works cited page are sources that you have actually cited from in the paper itself.
- Make sure the works cited page is in alphabetical order using proper formatting.
- This is a major writing assignment so get help with editing and revising from tutor.com, the writing center, or your instructor.
- Read the following article if your topic is on character analysis.
- =Check out these helpful hints on historical context if you are discussing it in your essay.
- Read this article if your topic includes writing about symbols.
- Finally, if you are exploring themes, read this article.
Works Cited
Title: Henry David Thoreau Visits Boxborough (Links to an external site.) | Author: liz west | License: CC BY 2.0 (Links to an external site.)
Title: Hemingway (Links to an external site.) | Author: Colin PDX | License: CC BY-NC 2.0 (Links to an external site.)
Title: Strays (Links to an external site.) | Author: nutmeg 66 | License: CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 (Links to an external site.)
Title: Jamaica Kincaid på Bokmässan 2019. Foto: Niklas Maupoix (Links to an external site.) | Author: Bokmässan | License: CC BY-NC 2.0 (Links to an external site.)
Title: MP Huda Naim with Alice Walker (Links to an external site.) | Author: kim kim | License: CC BY-NC 2.0 (Links to an external site.)
Title: Cadillac with Flags (Links to an external site.) | Author: Miguel Tejada-Flores | License: CC BY-NC 2.0 (Links to an external site.)
Title: Feminism in the News – Kaitlynn Mendes (Links to an external site.) | Author: cathredfern | License: CC BY-NC 2.0 (Links to an external site.)
Title: To Be Young, Gifted and Black . . . and Beautiful . . . (Links to an external site.) | Author: David Robert Bliwas | License: CC BY-NC 2.0 (Links to an external site.)
Title: IMG_2272.JPG (Links to an external site.) | Author: Paul O | License: CC BY 2.0 (Links to an external site.)
Rubric
Literary Analysis 1
| Criteria | Ratings | Pts | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeIntroduction |
|
15.0 pts |
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|
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeThesis Statement |
|
10.0 pts |
||||
|
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeDevelopment and Organization |
|
15.0 pts |
||||
|
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeResearch and References |
|
15.0 pts |
||||
|
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeCritical Thinking |
|
15.0 pts |
||||
|
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeFormatting |
|
10.0 pts |
||||
|
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeMLA Documentation |
|
10.0 pts |
||||
|
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeGrammar and Mechanics |
|
10.0 pts |
||||
|
Total Points: 100.0 |
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