Major Works
Explain the significance of the green light in The Great Gatsby.
The green light represents Gatsby's hopes and dreams for the future. It is also related to the overall pursuit of the American Dream.
What are at least TWO major Transcendentalist ideas?
Religion and political parties corrupt the purity of the individual
People are at their best when they are self-reliant and independent
Contemplated nature can allow you to transcend to the "real world"
Divinity of nature
A person's true feelings and intuition are more valuable than book knowledge
Non-conformity
Truth through observation/experience
Against slavery/gender equality
What is the definition of Anti-Transcendentalism?
An opposition movement to the transcendentalists. Authors wrote about the limitations and destructiveness of the human spirit that occurred in the 19th century.
What is Gothic Literature?
A genre of literature that combines both horror and romanticism
Focuses on decay, death, terror, and intense emotion.
Typically involves ghosts and other paranormal phenomena - the supernatural
Who are TWO important figures in Transcendentalism?
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Henry David Thoreau
Walt Whitman
How has Mary Warren changed as a character and why is this significant? (Hint: think about her changes in character from Act 1 to Act 2)
Mary Warren is originally a powerless and weak character who is frightened easily by threats from the Proctor’s. However, after giving in to the hysteria of the accusations, she finds a place of power within court. This is significant because it shows that the weak will give into the hysteria in order to save themselves. It also shows the benefits of accusing others of witchcraft and taking part in the hysteria.
Emerson indicates that to be alone, man has to not only leave society, but also to leave his chamber. What does this mean? Where does man need to go?
What are at least two key ideas/philosophies of Anti-Transcendentalism?
Belief in the potential destructiveness of the human spirit
Belief in individual truths, but not universal truths
The truths of existence are deceitful and disturbing Human nature is inherently sinful (original sin) and evil is an active force in the universe
Focus on the man's uncertainty and limitations in the universe
What are TWO traits of Gothic Literature?
Supernatural elements
Horror
Terror
Unreliable Narrator
Claustrophobic Setting/Confinement
Themes of Sin and Guilt
Isolation and Alienation
How did poetry change during the American Modernism Literary Movement?
Poetry lost all its floweriness and became short, un-rhymed and to the point.
What is a major theme of Of Mice and Men? Explain the significance.
The American Dream- Disillusionment with the American Dream. George and Lennie dream of owning their ranch, but ultimately they are unable to achieve this dream.
Loneliness- Due to the Great Depression, workers live in near poverty and do not have families. Because they are always moving from ranch to ranch, they are unable to keep up communicate with their fellow workers, which ultimately isolates them from any meaningful relationships.
The Common Man: The characters can represent anyone and this represents the purposeless lives o humanity.
How can failing to voice your thoughts result in shame?
We are not acting spontaneously, rather abiding by societal rules and losing individuality. Not voicing our thoughts forces us to live by unrealistic standards. Others who are more confidant speak first and thus it is shameful if you do not speak up.
What are at least TWO styles of the Anti-Transcendentalism writing style?
Prevalent use of symbolism and allegory
Conflicts bring out the evil in humanity
Raw and morbid diction
Focus on protagonist's inner struggles
Typical protagonists are haunted outsiders alienated from society
Society is seen as hypocritical and antagonistic
Explain how the characterization of the narrator in Edgar Allen Poe's "The Black Cat" changes. What element of Gothic Literature does the narrator represent?
The narrator used to be a well-liked boy who had a love for animals. However, after getting married, he slowly began to turn violent and eventually turned to alcohol as a "remedy." He began to abuse his animals and eventually murdered both his loved cat, Pluto and his wife.
The narrator represents an unreliable narrator because we only hear the story from his side and we follow him through his descent into insanity.
What comment does Ambrose Bierce's "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" make on life and death?
Death is inescapable. The story examines the line between life and death and how at times, the latter can heighten and enhance the former. The ending highlights the immediacy of life-people only notice small details when it is too late. Life and death are interwoven. Death is mysterious.
In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald uses the words "hope" or "dream." Why does he do this?
He uses these words to set the tone of the novel. The story is based on the hopes and dreams of, primarily, Jay Gatsby...however, can these dreams be achieved?
What does Thoreau think of newspapers? What might his opinion be of the nightly news? Why?
Thoreau claims that there is no memorable news in newspapers. If we read about something once, then other stories that are similar are not important and there is nothing noteworthy that is included. Thoreau would not value nightly news because it's the same news stories over and over again, thus being a waste of his time.
Provide an example of satire in The Devil and Tom Walker and explain how it falls into the category of satire.
Marriage- "The house and it's inmates..." The marriage between Tom Walker and his wife is loveless. The wife is a shrew who physically harms her husband and is just as greedy and selfish as he is. No one would normally want to sell himself to the devil, but the only reason Tom does not is to simply spite his wife. "However Tom might have felt disposed to the devil, he was determined not to do so to oblige his wife, so he finally refused to do so out of the mere spirit of contradiction" -This is satire because marriages are supposed to be based on love.
Usury and slave trade- Walker felt it was morally wrong to be involved with a slave trade, but was okay with becoming a usurer. "This however, Tom resolutely refused; he was bad enough in all conscience; but the devil himself could not tempt him to turn slave dealer"
Religion: A truly pious person would never try to cheat another. "He thought with regret on the bargain he made with his black friend, and set his wits to work to cheat him out of the conditions"
In Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven," what does the raven symbolize?
Mournful, never-ending remembrance
Compare and contrast the man and the dog from Jack London's "To Build a Fire"
Man- underestimates cold, relies on himself for warmth, loses all reason and logic in the face of death
Dog-Relies on man fir warmth, understands the danger of cold, runs on instinct, stays calm in the face of death
Both- Suffer from cold!
Identify the speaker of this quote and explain the significance "I know how you clutched my back behind your house and sweated like a stallion whenever I came near! Or did I dream that? It's she put me out, you cannot pretend it were you. I saw your face when she put me out, and you loved me then and you do now.
Abigail Williams says this quote. This quote is significant because it further characterizes Abigail as delusional in her love for John Proctor.
How does Thoreau's statement "I have always been regretting that I was not as wise as the day I was born" characteristic of the Transcendentalist philosophy?
When we are born, we are free from the abstractions of man. We have not been poisoned by greed or separated from our natural state.
In "The Minister's Black Veil," Hawthrone chooses not to explain why Mr. Hooper wears the veil. Why not and how does this secret contribute to the story?
The veil remains a mysterious secret that represents the secret of sin. Even at the end, the mysterious secret is never revealed and no one is able to remove their "masks" and be honest abut their sins, which attests to the dark side of human nature.
In Edgar Allan Poe's "Annabel Lee," why does Poe choose the sea as the setting for Annabel Lee's grave?
Additionally, Poe uses repetition in this poem. Why?
The sea symbolizes loneliness and emptiness which is an ideal setting for a grave.
His words are often repeated which represent the waves lapping on the shores of the kingdom by the sea.
What is Realism in literature?
It represents reality by focusing on mundane, everyday experiences as they are in real life. It depicts familiar people, places, and stories.