My final project must discuss at least two texts since I have
not yet written a project with more than one text. With this in mind, these are
the three projects I am pondering:
1.
Compare and contrast elements of two different texts.
For example, explore the similarities and differences between two characters in
the texts, or examine how one theme is handled in similar and dissimilar ways
in two different texts.
You may choose from any of the readings we
have done this semester including poetry, short fiction, and drama. You may
also choose two texts from two different genres to write about (a poem and a
short story, for example).
The two stories I would like to compare and
contrast would be Dashiell Hammett’s The Maltese
Falcon and Raymond Chandler’s The Big Sleep. With them both being murder mysteries, there
is a great deal to be analyzed between the two.
2.
Pick a subject: love, work, freedom, etc. Then
choose two selections and discuss how that subject is discussed in those
selections. Use literary devices to help frame your discussion.
I am considering writing a project on the
subject of freedom. I am thinking of using the Four Poems of Angel Island and
Chinatown, Edith Maud Eaton’s In the Land of the Free, and Ambrose Bierce’s Moxon’s
Master as my literary focus.
3.
Think about a theme you see running through your
life (failure is the best lesson, love is eternal, etc). Choose a reading that
you think also discusses this theme (even if it reaches different conclusions
about it). Explore connections between how the theme plays out in your life,
and how the theme gets played out in the reading.
For this option, I would like to write analyzing
the writings of John Muir from The
Mountains of California and Gertrude
Atherton’s The Californians or
possibly Georgoe Sterling’s Beyond the Breakers.
Hi Amanda,
ReplyDeleteYour 1st and 3rd selection would be difficult for me to complete a 1000 word report because I did not feel connected to them and I would have a hard time writing a lot about them. I personally really like your 2nd selection. I really enjoyed In The Land of the Free. You have a lot in this story to write about any of the subjects. You can compare the story with the poems and you would have a lot of text to write about. I think the subject they have in common and you could write the most about is freedom. It is so sad that these people immigrated to a place that was unknown to them, looking for a better life and freedom, only to find a place that had its own challenges and limitations. Good luck on your last project. I will come back and read to see which one you selected.
Amanda,
ReplyDeleteI suppose that your second selection " Pick a subject: love, work, freedom, etc. Then choose two selections and discuss how that subject is discussed in those selections", would really lend itself well to John Muir's "The Mountains of California". I have not read the other two selections you are contemplating, but Muir's exploration of the Sierras lends itself well to the themes of love and freedom.
Hello Amanda,
ReplyDeleteGreat choices!
I have not read the texts from your first choice, but I do love mysteries/crime stories so I give you a kudos for choosing these works.
I am intrigued by your second choice about freedom! I really loved the Four Poems of Angel Island and Chinatown because of its wholesome and collective freedom from a domineering oppressor/s. And I still get chills remembering Moxon's Master, which talks about a different kind of freedom, the freedom of one’s own mind from its overpowering intelligence. I fail to see the connection of these two different freedoms, that’s why your choice intrigues me. I think that, the compare and contrast prompt (the prompt on your first choice) also works for this line of thought.
The texts you selected for your third choice are full of metaphors and I would love to read how you connect them with your own life!
I am looking forward to reading your project!
Best,
Regina