ENG/GND 230 Quiz 1

Directions: Choose 6 of the following 9 questions, and answer them as completely as you can (about 1-2 paragraphs). You must answer at least one question about a poem, one about an essay, and one about the chapter from Writing About Literature. Each response will be worth 10 points.

You may copy and paste the answers and your responses into a new word processing document, or into the box that's available for your response on Canvas. Please make sure your name is on your quiz.
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1. Chapter 2 of Writing About Literature, Gardner outlines some strategies for reading. Why is the concept of "hidden meaning" in literature a myth? And, why is it important to annotate when we are reading critically?

2. Why is it important to consider the cultural context of a text? Look at one of the texts we read for this week, and consider the following questions (adapted from Gardner 19). Choose two of the following questions to answer, and consider how these questions might be important in terms of your ability to understand the text.

a. What was going on in history at the time the text was written?

b. What was the standard of living for most people in the author's society? What was day-to-day life like?

c. How was society organized in term of power relations, work expectations, and educational possibilities? What about typical family structure?

d. What were the expected gender roles inside (and outside) the family?

e. How does being a resident of 21st century America affect your reading and understanding?

3. In the poem "One Art," who do you believe is the speaker, and why? What can we learn about the speaker from the poem, and how does that help us understand who the speaker is? And, who is the implied listener? Why?

4. Read Margaret Atwood's poem "Spelling" aloud, and as you do, pay particular attention to Atwood's use of sound and lineation. Choose one stanza (at least 3 lines) and offer a close read of the stanza based on the sound and lineation. How do these two elements of poetry help Atwood convey her meaning in the stanza you've chosen?

5. In "Diving into the Wreck," Adrienne Rich uses extended imagery of exploring a shipwreck. Choose one stanza, and break down the imagery Rich uses in that particular stanza. How does the imagery in this stanza help convey Rich's overall message in the poem?

6. Why does Virginia Woolf believe that women need 500 pounds a year and a room of their own in order to write? How would Olsen and Anzaldua respond to Woolf's claim?

7. In "Professions for Women," Woolf describe a metaphorical Angel of the House. Who is this Angel, and why does Woolf believe it is important to kill her?

8. How does Olsen present the Angel in Silences? How is her approach to the Angel similar to/different from Woolf?

9. Who is Gloria Anzaldua's epistle "Speaking in Tongues: A Letter to Third-World Women Writers" addressed to? And, why does Anzaldua write to this audience - what message does she hope to convey?

Attachment:- tillie_olsen_selections_from_silences.zip