Monday, July 26, 2010

Online class for Tuesday

Your assignments for Tuesday are straight out of the tentative schedule: Washington (pp. 1628-38), London (pp. 1825-37), "Realism & Naturalism" (pp. 1745-47), Howells (pp.1747-50), and James (pp. 1750-52). Your work for Tuesday has three parts: an online quiz to be answered by email, an online discussion to be answered in the comments section, and readings you'll be quizzed over on Wednesday.

Part 1. Copy the quiz questions below and send them to me with your answers by email no later than Tuesday afternoon. My Motlow email address (the one I prefer for you to use) is on the top of your printed syllabus. If you can't find that address, then click the "View my complete profile" link in the right column of this page. You'll then find my email address in the left column of my profile page. The quiz is open-book, open notes.

Part 2. In the comments section at the bottom of this web posting, ask at least one question about today's readings. Please read everyone's questions and my answers; these questions and answers will constitute our in-class discussion for Tuesday.

Part 3. Do your assigned readings for Wednesday (Frost, Sandburg, Stevens, and Williams [but not Eliot]) and be prepared for an in-class quiz Wednesday.

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ENGL 2030 Quiz
Tuesday, July 27, 2010

1. According to Booker T. Washington's Atlanta Exposition address, "No race can prosper till it learns that there is as much dignity in tilling a field as in _______________________."

2. Booker T. Washington wrote that blacks in the South would eventually have political rights. From what source did he believe those rights would not come, and what would be required for blacks to receive those rights eventually?

3. In naturalist novels, what happens to characters who "confront major crises"?

4. According to Howells, what should be "the only test of a novel's truth"?

5. Did Howells believe that great novels would have moral effects on the reader? Justify your answer with Howells's own words.

6. According to Henry James, what were the only two valid classifications for a novel?

7. According to James, "No good novel will ever proceed from _______________."

8. What caused the man in "To Build a Fire" to be shocked "as though he had just heard his own sentence of death"?

9. What was the temperature on the Yukon trail in "To Build a Fire?"

Update: One of you has emailed to say you had trouble posting comments. The trouble should be corrected now, but I'm going to post the question I've already received here.

Q: In Realism and Naturalism I do not understand how they were destroyed by them? Was there life destroyed? Was the person destroyed? I didn't understand this part in the reading.
A: The reference is to main characters in realist and naturalist novels. Naturalist novels are basically pessimistic, so that when fictional characters are challenged by overwhelming forces and challenges in life, they die or are crushed by them.

Update 2: Good grief; I'm not even able to comment on my own blog posting. To answer Taylor's question, Yes, that's certainly one way to put it. A realist or naturalist might have some sympathy for a nice guy, but not so much for a Christian. Darwin's concept of survival of the fittest played a big part in the realist's (and especially the naturalist's) worldview. -AMS

Update 3: Tuesday's class is now over. See you Wednesday.

1 comment:

  1. In Realism and Naturalism, is he saying that no matter what a realist believes nice guys finish last, such as a Christian, and naturalist believe that no matter what happens you're going to die anyway, such as someone like Bryant?

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