Great American Books

So What Makes an American Book Great?

2007-04-15T20:09:00.000-05:00

This semester we've looked at a variety of American books and stories that have been called "great" for one reason or another -- Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, Flannery O'Connor's stories, Faulkner's The Sound and the Fury, Morrison's Love, Hijuelos's Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love, Roth's American Pastoral, and Doctorow's Ragtime. So the big question, then, is what makes an American book great? Or, what makes it especially "American"? And, finally, which of these books do you consider great, and why?

This is the last post of the semester -- yay! Please post your comment no later than Saturday, April 21.

Doctorow: Ragtime

2007-04-12T15:22:00.000-05:00

We've talked a bit about what it means to write historical fiction. We've also discussed whether the fiction-writer has a moral or ethical responsibility to be "truthful" when it comes to historical fiction. What questions and concerns does Doctorow raise about the nature of historical truth? How does his use of historical figures (Emma Goldman, JP Morgan, Henry Ford, Harry Houdini) in Ragtime serve the greater purpose of his novel?

Please post your response no later than Saturday, April 11, 12:00pm.

Roth: American Pastoral

2007-03-20T01:03:00.000-05:00

"His great looks, his larger-than-lifeness, his glory, our sense of his having been exempted from all self-doubt by his heroic role -- that all these manly properties had precipitated a political murder made me think of the compelling story . . . of Kennedy" (83). In what ways do American Pastoral's political metaphors reflect the story of mid-century America? Why might they be presented through a Kennedy-like figure?

Note: You should have finished the first two sections of this book before answering this question. Please post your comment no later than Thursday, March 22, 4:30pm.

Morrison: Love

2007-02-14T15:23:00.000-05:00

Why has Toni Morrison chosen Love as the title for her novel? It might seem like a strange choice, especially since the first scene she wrote was the rape scene. In what ways is the book about love? What kinds of love affect and afflict its characters? What does the novel, taken as a whole, suggest about the nature of love?

Please post your response no later than Thursday, February 15, 4:30pm.

Faulkner: The Sound and the Fury

2007-01-30T14:50:00.000-05:00

A number of the characters in The Sound and the Fury might be characterized as insane, or borderline insane, but only Benji is mentally retarded. How do people distinguish between insanity and mental handicaps? What kind of statement do you think Faulkner might be making about the line between sanity and insanity? Be sure to use specific examples from the text to support your answers.

You should post your comment no later than Thursday, February 1, 4:30pm.

Great American Books Spring 2007!

2007-01-11T03:18:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the English 250 Course Blog! This will be a great place for you to engage in dialogue about some of the books we'll be reading this semester. As you can see, I've left some of the posts and comments from last semester, so feel free to glance at those if you like. The most important thing to remember for this exercise is to have fun with it!

Roth: American Pastoral

2006-11-19T14:24:00.000-05:00

Nathan Zuckerman imagined the Swede's life to be perfect. And the Swede tried to live up to this romanticized view of his life by trying to make it picture perfect; he lived that life until it became dark and violent. Was his life the essential American Dream, or was it a nightmare rather than a pastoral? What comment does the novel's title make upon the story it tells? Feel free to connect this to other texts we've read as well.

Please post your response no later than Monday, November 27.

Doctorow: Ragtime

2006-11-08T23:51:00.000-05:00

In reading Doctorow's Ragtime we're given a controversial form of access to the past. By blurring the boundaries between fact and fiction, Doctorow pulls readers into a historical setting and enables us to identify quickly with the characters. This is certainly an effective technique for obvious reasons, but it's also true that any time a writer draws from "real life" or from history to create his or her characters, exactly what constitutes "truth" becomes the next question, one to which everyone has a different answer. As you can see, Doctorow takes great liberty in imagining alternative lives for historical figures. For instance, the interaction between Emma Goldman and Evelyn Nesbitt (and Younger Brother, hiding in the closet) is a bit racy, and the conversations between Pierpoint Morgan and Henry Ford are somewhat provocative as well.

So I'd like you to think about the idea of fact vs. fiction, and respond to Doctorow's method of storytelling and boundary blurring.

Please post your response no later than Saturday, November 11.

Morrison: Love

2006-10-18T23:59:00.000-05:00

In Chapter 2 ("Friend"), we get, among other things, a depiction of Christine and Heed at Bill Cosey's funeral. "Hate," writes Morrison, "does that. Burns off everything but itself, so whatever your grievance is, your face looks just like your enemy's" (34). In a book titled Love, it's a curious description.

I'm going to leave this open. With this quotation in mind, I would like you to comment on what you've read so far. Be sure to use specific examples from the novel in your responses.

Please post your response no later than Saturday, October 21, 8pm.

Faulkner: The Sound and the Fury

2006-10-04T17:17:00.000-05:00

Like many of Faulkner's characters, Quentin Compson (male) is a complicated character. In a novel dominated by the memory as opposed to chronology, Quentin's section -- dated June 2, 1910, the day he drowned himself at the end of his first year at Harvard -- arguably emerges as the section most preoccupied with these themes. Why does Faulkner choose to have Quentin narrate his own section, even though he has been dead for nearly eighteen years? What do you make of his dual obsession with his sister's virginity and the loss of the family honor? Why does he attempt to make, in a crucial conversation with his father, a false confession of incest? Considering Quentin's own state of mind at the time, what do you think of Mr. Compson's response? And, finally, what are the reasons for Quentin's decision to drown himself?

Obviously you can't answer all of these questions in your response, so just pick some of them and try to comment critically and insightfully. Also be sure to read your peers' responses before posting your own -- try to say things that haven't already been said, and comment on what has been said.

Please post no later than Thursday, October 5, 4pm.

Hijuelos: The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love

2006-09-19T20:20:00.000-05:00

During class sessions we've discussed some of the more prominent (and sometimes shocking) aspects of Oscar Hijuelos's The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love: Cesar's exaggerated sexuality; Nestor's melancholy; the significance of the I Love Lucy show, which frames the story; the flashback narrative technique; the meaning of the iconic American dream; and more. But, most significantly, this is a story about the Cuban American immigrant experience. Do you think The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love is a narrative specific to Cuban immigrants, or is it applicable to all immigrants? Or to all Americans of that generation? What aspects of the story transcend the Cuban immigrant experience? Which are unique to Cuban Americans?

Try to address these questions, but also feel free to raise other questions and make comments about other aspects of the novel that you find intriguing or problematic in some way. As always, be sure to read your peers' comments and contribute to the post as part of an ongoing discussion.

Please post your comments no later than 4pm on Thursday, September 21.

Chopin: The Awakening

2006-09-05T19:53:00.000-05:00

In chapter VIII, Madame Ratignolle says to Robert of Edna: "She is not one of us; she is not like us. She might make the unfortunate blunder of taking you seriously" (64). What does she mean by this? How is Edna different? What instances are there where Edna's marginal or outsider role affects or hinders her participation in Creole society?

Please post your response by 4pm on Thursday, September 7.

Hawthorne: The Scarlet Letter

2006-08-21T23:18:00.000-05:00

The relationship between Hester's identity and the scarlet letter she wears is complicated. Why do you think she refuses, repeatedly, to stop wearing the letter? What is the difference between the identity she creates for herself and the identity assigned to her by the community?

Please post your response no later than midnight on Monday, August 28. In addition to responding to this post, try to comment on your peers' responses as well.

Welcome!

2006-07-19T02:09:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the Fall 2006 English 250: Great American Books course blog. The course theme is "Great American Writers With Great American Dilemmas," so try to keep this in mind as you use this blog. Think about the ways in which each American writer explores social, cultural, and religious dilemmas in his or her fiction. Consider this an online classroom and an alternative venue for class discussion. As always, be considerate of others. Respond to posts and comments in a critical and insightful manner. Feel free to disagree, with me or your peers, as long as you do it with respect. Finally, have fun with this, and use the online discussions in which we engage as starting points for thinking about your final paper.