In-Class Essays: Writing Prompts |
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9/2 | Using the following poem, explain the Formalist concept of �defamiliarization.� Refer to the Eichenbaum article to support your argument. In a Station of the Metro (1914 / 1916) |
9/9 | Why, for Brooks, is it �heretical� to believe that one can capture the essence of a work of literature by paraphrasing it? |
9/16 | Compare/contrast Barthes' concept of "author" with Foucault's concept of the "author-function." |
9/23 | Explain Fish's notion of interpretive communities. How are these communities, for Fish, constituitive of meaning in the literary text? |
10/7 | At the end of class, students used Marxist criticism (a theoretical model that focuses on the creation of discourses and the power struggles inherent to economic inequality) to interpret art. Choose one: 1) After hearing the history of George La Tour's "Penitent Magdalene" painting (circa 1638), i.e., its Biblical and Christian references/morals and use in Dan Brown's DaVinci Code, why does this image appear in The Little Mermaid, a children's film? 2) How is the aura of John Singer Sargent's "Madame X" painting (1884) altered after you are made aware of the real original (with the strapless shoulder) and the painting's use in a 20th century alcohol print advertisement? |
10/28 | After a lengthy discussion surrounding feminism, its history and its influence on feminist literary theory, students were asked to write a feminist reading of Sargent's painting, "Madame X." |
11/4 | Pick one of the following prompts to discuss
Jonathan Swift's "The Lady's Dressing Room":
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11/11 | We didn't have time for an in-class essay today
(with 4 presentations) so the assignment is due on Wednesday
(11/16) by 5pm via email.
Theoretical models:
Part I. Use one of
these theoretical models to write an analysis of the course
descriptions published in the English Department newsletter
(handed out last week). This analysis should be a minimum
of 1 paragraph (5-6 sentences). Do not address any other
articles in the newsletter; look only at the course
descriptions. You may write about either 1 individual
course description or the course descriptions as a
representative body.
Part II. Using one of
these theoretical models, write a 2-paragraph analysis of
the Heart of Darkness excerpts (available online on
the Schedule; see 11/11). Since you only have 2 paragraphs
to provide an analysis, I suggest you select a very brief
passage from this excerpt about which to write. Remember,
the most effective analysis uses details from the text.
(It's all in the details!)
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11/18 | How is Andy Warhol's art (see handout) postmodern? |
12/2 | Due 12/14, 2pm with Final Exam Essay (drop off in
English Department)
Since we ran out of time today, we didn't have a chance to write
out last in-class essay. To make-up for this, you will write on
the following topic, to be turned in with your Final Exam Essay
on December 14, 2pm:
This letter is really meant as
a moment to reflect on your literary criticism experience
and will be graded only as an A or no credit (for not
doing it or not following directions).
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