ELIT 48C Class #9

Continuous vs. Continual

Continual means "repeated regularly and often." Julia hated the continual negative

political ads.

Continuous means "extended or prolonged without interruption." The alarm bell was jammed and rang continuously; it never stopped and was making Gayle loony!

AGENDA

Quiz

The American Dream

My Antonia Books IV and V

Author Introduction: Mina Loy

Introduce Exam #1

The Answers to the Quiz: Take 10 minutes

A. Gaston Cleric

B. Lewis Hale

C. Frances Harling

D. Mina Loy

E. Mrs. Shimerda

F. Otto Fuchs

G. Samson d'Arnault

H. Wick Cutter

I. Molly Gardener

J. Tiny Soderball

K. Lena Lingard

L. Minnie Foster

M. Anton Cuzak

N. Mr. Marinetti

Lecture

The American Dream

                           What is The American Dream???

James Truslow Adams, who coined the phrase “The American Dream” in 1931, wrote this about it:

[The American Dream is] that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement. It is a difficult dream for the European upper classes to interpret adequately, and too many of us ourselves have grown weary and mistrustful of it. It is not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position. [The Epic of America, 1931]

The Beginnings of the Dream

Yet, the concept of the American Dream existed before Adams articulated it. Perhaps the first verbalization of the American Dream is Thomas Jefferson’s statement from the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all

men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Benjamin Franklin gave the definitive formulation of the American Dream in his autobiography (begun in 1771, published in 1818). At least five characteristics of the American Dream have been noted in Franklin’s work:1. the rise from rags to riches through industry and

thrift;2. the rise from insignificance to importance, from

helplessness to power;3. a philosophy of individualism; 4. the efficacy of free will and action; 5. and a spirit of hope, even of optimism.

In 1867 when writer, Horatio Alger came out with his book Ragged Dick, the concept of the American Dream became an American Idea. The story is a rags-to-riches tale of a poor orphan boy in New York City who saves his pennies, works hard and eventually becomes rich. This model of honesty, hard work, and strong determination as the keys to success in America became the goal of Americans and the immigrants who would soon come to America.

In time, many Americans became disenchanted with the theme. Nathaniel Hawthorne, Herman Melville, Edgar Allan Poe, Henry James, and Mark Twain probed the dark side of the dream.

Twain, writing during the rise of nineteenth century finance capitalism and industrialism, became increasingly disillusioned with social corruption in the Gilded Age. In his classic novel Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884), before Huck “lights out for the territory” to escape being civilized, he struggles with a corrupt world of frauds, desperadoes, and money-grubbing confidence men.

The 20th Century Dream

Twain set the tone for twentieth century versions of the American Dream, many of which have depicted the American Dream turned nightmare. Twain’s legacy is certainly discernible in such a writer as F. Scott Fitzgerald. Wealth and material possessions are shown as the constituents of the American Dream, a theme Fitzgerald develops in The Great Gatsby (1925). Yet in much of 20th C literature, the American Dream is ambiguous; while some deny it, others cling to it. While some ignore it, others insist they will achieve it.

The American Dream: My Antonia

Mrs. Shimerda uprooted her family against her husband's wishes. She

said, "America big country, much money, much land for my boys, much husband for my girls." Pavel and Peter were fugitives. The burgeoning country

and economy provided many opportunities. Tiny Soderball follows the frontier to Seattle and then,

during the gold rush, to Alaska. And, as always, swindlers and loan sharks, like Wick

Cutter, preyed on the weak. Lena is a successful dressmaker in San Francisco. Ántonia and her husband flourish

For all the successes, the novel is riddled with disappointments and failures

Otto and Jake go west, and except for one postcard, they are never heard of again.

"Rooshian" Peter, who proudly told Ántonia that "in his country only rich people had cows, but here any man could have one who would take care of her," loses his partner, and bankruptcy forces him to sell his possessions.

When Jim tells Ántonia that Coronado, who searched the American west for the Seven Golden Cities, died in the wilderness of a broken heart, she sighs, "More than him has done that." The American Dream had also broken her father.

Group Discussion: The American Dream in My Antonia

1. Compare and contrast Tiny Soderball and Lena Lingard’s success with money.2. Discuss the reasons why Willa Cather chose to have Antonia return to the Shimerda farm as an unwed mother.3. Discuss the differences between the Cuzak household and the Shimerda household from many years before.

QHQs

Q: What does the development of Wick Cutter show about his true character?

Q: For what purpose does Willa Cather tell us about Mr. and Mrs. Cutter’s shocking deaths?

Had Cather given Antonia a tragically “lonesome” ending, what would Jim’s reaction/interaction/resolution been with her at the end? Would he have even gone to see her?

Q: After reunion with Jim and Antonia, did their relationship grew again?

Q: How can My Antonia be seen as an important part of forming modernist literature? How does the plot, narrative, and choice of characters represent the importance of understanding the coming modernist trends, and why is this important today?

Exam #1:Introduction

Exam Review

1. Rules of writing based on introduction slides I waited with bated/baited breath.

2. Passage identification by work “But Mrs. Hale, the law is the law.”

3. Character identification Similar to quiz

4. Who said it? Modern Manifestos “It is better to present one Image in a lifetime than

to produce voluminous works.”

Exam Review

5. Author identification In 1912, on a visit to her family in Red Cloud,

she stood on the edge of a wheat field and watched her first harvest in years.

6. Name events that influenced social and political modernity

The Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution

7. Terms: Fill in the blank ________________occurs when a word, image, or

event generates two or more different meanings”

Exam Review

8. Identify the Theory This theory maintains that a literary work

contains certain intrinsic features, and the theory “defines and addresses the specifically literary qualities in the text."

9. Short essay/Long answer Name and explain one important symbol from

Trifles

HOMEWORK Study for Exam: Vocabulary,

Theory, Gatsby, Trifles, My Antonia, Modern Manifestos

Rules of Writing: Multiple Choice

Fill in the blank

Theory Identification

Passage Identification

Character Identification

Who said it?

Essay Question