Final Project Assignment Sheet

Advanced Literature: Portraits of the American South – Final Project

Due October 9^th, 2013 by 5:00 PM

In order to further experience the literature and culture revolving around the American South, you will select one reading which explores the milieu of the South. You will then analyze the literature to synthesize your own understanding of the culture.

Assignment:

Part One

You will select and read one of the following pieces as your focus:

            Williams, Tennessee. A Streetcar Named Desire. New York: New Directions, 2004. Print.

            Selections from O’Connor, Flannery. The Complete Stories. New York: Farrar, Straus and

Giroux, 1971. Print.

            Faulkner, William. The Sound and the Fury. New York: Vintage, 1991. Print.

A Streetcar Named Desire is a play set in New Orleans circa 1940. It traces the story of the DuBois family, former Southern nobility, falling from grace when Blanche moves in with her sister Stella and Stella’s blue-collar husband, Stanley Kowalski. I will screen the film adaptation of the play (Kazan 1951) after school on Wednesday, October 2^nd, to enhance your reading and understanding of the play.

The selections I have designated of Flannery O’Connor’s The Complete Stories consist of seven short stories taking place across the United States. Each of the stories deal with different characters, events, settings, and themes, but they all contribute to our understanding of the Southern mindset and culture, including religion, dialect, racial profiling, and gender roles.

The Sound and the Fury is a novel that portrays the slow decay of another family of Southern nobility, the Compson family. The story is told over about forty years from four different perspectives: the mentally-handicapped youngest son, Benjy; the hyper-intelligent and psychologically troubled middle child, Quentin; the aggressive and self-centered middle child, Jason; and the proud and insightful matriarch of the family’s black servants, Dilsey.

Part Two

While reading, you will take notes on a separate sheet of paper to submit as part of the assignment. These notes should reflect not only the plots events and characters, but also thematic (underwater) reflections and your personal insights.

- You can use any format for these notes as long as I am able to interpret them.

- You may also use outside sources to help, but you MUST properly cite these sources within your notes.

I need to review your notes on or before October 3^rd in order to ensure your progress and understanding.

Using these notes to identify an important section of your reading, you will write a “close reading” analytical essay:

1) Identify a passage of the piece that conveys a broader, overarching theme or symbol of Southern culture.

2) Focusing specifically on this passage, explore the author’s evaluation and portrayal of this theme or symbol. Explain what it means, how the author constructs it, and why it helps us understand the South and the world better.

I highly recommend that you submit at least one draft to me before October 8^th.

Tips for success on this project:

·      Start reading right away. The sooner you dig in to your text, the sooner you will be able to start your higher-level thinking.

·      Ask questions. I’m here to support you throughout this project—you are absolutely welcome to ask for help, to bounce ideas off me, or to just chat.

·      Set aside time to work on this project outside of class. While you will have some time to work in class, you will not be able to create an A quality project in class-time alone.