Extended Definition Essay: What Makes Literature American?
Final Exam
Extended Definition Essay – What Makes Literature American?
This course has involved study of literature that pre-dates written literature and extends into the 20th century. We have looked at a variety of different genres by a variety of different authors. Throughout that long period of growth and development, American literature goes through various stages, incorporating and/or expanding upon various general themes. For your essay, you will answer the question that has guided our study then entire year: “What makes literature American?” Though this question may have seemed simple in the beginning, you have no doubt realized there are a lot of elements that help define American literature. In your essay, you will define when these diverse elements come together into American literature. You will, in effect, which work or author best provides us with an identifiably American text.
You might begin by listing some of the major themes that we have witnessed to this point: Importance/View of Religion, Place of the Individual within Society and how society shapes its people, “American” Technical Elements, View of Nature/Art, the role of Family, or how voices from multiple perspectives helps define America.
Decide on the work or author in whom/which the important impulses come together as something identifiably different (American). You should refer to other works to show how these impulses grew in the separate minds of previous writers. Remember that there is no correct answer to this question; your grade will depend upon how successfully you support your claim.
This will be an in-class essay, but you will need to do some prep work for this essay on your own at home in order to be prepared to write it in class. Turning in a hard copy of your prep notes will factor into your grade. Some of these prep notes will be done as a class. You will have all 95 minutes of class on Wednesday, May 27th to complete the essay. Your essay should be 4-6 pages in length, double spaced, 12 font. (You will need your laptops.) I do not want you to do any outside research. Please only use your notes, assignments, and handouts from class.
Your prep notes should fit onto one page (two-sided, 12-pt font). These notes should include any notes on themes, characters, technical elements, or direct quotes you might want to use in your essay. Your prep notes should NOT be more than one page (two-sided, 12-pt. font), and should not include any of your essay written out. The entirety of the essay should be completed during class time.
Extended Definition Essay – What Makes Literature American?
This course has involved study of literature that pre-dates written literature and extends into the 20th century. We have looked at a variety of different genres by a variety of different authors. Throughout that long period of growth and development, American literature goes through various stages, incorporating and/or expanding upon various general themes. For your essay, you will answer the question that has guided our study then entire year: “What makes literature American?” Though this question may have seemed simple in the beginning, you have no doubt realized there are a lot of elements that help define American literature. In your essay, you will define when these diverse elements come together into American literature. You will, in effect, which work or author best provides us with an identifiably American text.
You might begin by listing some of the major themes that we have witnessed to this point: Importance/View of Religion, Place of the Individual within Society and how society shapes its people, “American” Technical Elements, View of Nature/Art, the role of Family, or how voices from multiple perspectives helps define America.
Decide on the work or author in whom/which the important impulses come together as something identifiably different (American). You should refer to other works to show how these impulses grew in the separate minds of previous writers. Remember that there is no correct answer to this question; your grade will depend upon how successfully you support your claim.
This will be an in-class essay, but you will need to do some prep work for this essay on your own at home in order to be prepared to write it in class. Turning in a hard copy of your prep notes will factor into your grade. Some of these prep notes will be done as a class. You will have all 95 minutes of class on Wednesday, May 27th to complete the essay. Your essay should be 4-6 pages in length, double spaced, 12 font. (You will need your laptops.) I do not want you to do any outside research. Please only use your notes, assignments, and handouts from class.
Your prep notes should fit onto one page (two-sided, 12-pt font). These notes should include any notes on themes, characters, technical elements, or direct quotes you might want to use in your essay. Your prep notes should NOT be more than one page (two-sided, 12-pt. font), and should not include any of your essay written out. The entirety of the essay should be completed during class time.