Assignment

1. Consider the poems, short stories, and autobiographical pieces you read from the first half of the twentieth century during this semester. How did historical events and realities affect writers who were working during this time? What common threads did you observe in the works of these writers? Cite specific examples from various texts in your response.

2. Consider the poems of the Harlem Renaissance that you read this semester. Why does the theme of freedom play such an important role in these works? How do different poems address this theme? Cite examples and images from three Harlem Renaissance poems in your response.

3. What internal conflicts do the characters face in The Glass Menagerie? How do these conflicts result in the overall tension that exists in the Wingfield family? Describe how Tom, Laura, and Amanda cope with their conflicts and how their conflicts connect to the play's theme of reality versus illusion.

4. What do the pieces you read by Richard Rodriguez and Amy Tan illustrate about the immigrant experience in twentieth-century America? How are the children in these works different from their parents? Use specific examples from the text in your response.