Assignment

1) In Civilization and its Discontents, what does Freud say are the three main sources of human suffering, and what are the methods or actions humans engage in to avoid or fend off that suffering?

2) Choose at least one writing and one painting from pages 383-390 (pp. 385-393 in the 6th edition) and consider how their creators may have been influenced by Freud's theories and "his pessimistic view of human nature."

3) Consider at least two surrealist works from pp. 392-397 (pp. 395-400 in the 6th edition), and what the artists' may have been trying to express about the workings of the human mind.

4) What do the excerpts from All Quiet on the Western Front and Night tell us about the nature of modern warfare? Do the authors write in similar or different styles?

5) In what ways is the philosophy of Existentialism positive and life-affirming? In what ways is it negative and despairing? How does Sartre instruct us to act in and come to grips with life in an apparently meaningless universe?

6) In what ways do the painting and sculpture of the mid-Twentieth Century reflect a sense of alienation, anxiety, or emptiness? What may account for these feelings at this time?

7) How does Frank Lloyd Wright's design of the Guggenheim Museum in New York City differ from his earlier designs of private residences? Does the museum share some common characteristics with his earlier buildings?

8) What different paths to freedom and equality did Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X offer to Black Americans? Why did each of them believe that their respective path would be long and dangerous?

9) Choose one of the works by African American writers on pp. 449-457 (454-461 in the 6th edition). How does the author define him/herself or Black Americans? What does the author suggest about how the larger white society defines him/her or Black Americans?

10) How do two works from pp. 485-496 (487-497 in the 6th edition) break with tradition in terms of subject matter, materials used, production processes or ways they are presented to or involve their audience?

11) Globalization has brought new global concerns, and increased interest in pre-existing problems as well. Choose one of the writings from pp. 504-515 (pp. 506-516 in the 6th edition) and explain what it tells us about one of these "global concerns." Does the author you choose offer a solution to the problem discussed? Why or why not?