Contemporary1939-present

Transitions Wars, wars, and more wars

Social protests Introduction of technology

Destruction that comes with it Technological paranoia Media saturated culture

Transition Read “Political and Social Milestones”

794-795 Read “Contemporary Literature 1939 to

Present” Pgs. 796-809

Characteristics Known as postmodern

Multiple meanings Multiple realities – imagined and realistic

Still like to stray from traditional grammar and mechanics of Standard English

Makes reference to the past Self-conscious Mix of fiction & non-fiction More multi-cultural literature Introduction of successful female authors

Contemporary Poetry Beat poets

Non-conformist attitude “Hippie-esque” Highly intellectual Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsburg, Greg Corso

Confessional poets Reflective of personal lives Sylvia Plath, Robert Lowell, Anne Sexton

Beat Poets Allen Ginsburg

“Howl” Gregory Corso

Born: 1930, NY “awakener of youth” - according to Ginsburg In and out of prison Spent time in an institution Died in 2001

“One: Number 31” – Jackson Pollock

Writing: Journal #4.5 5/12/14 In your journal, respond to what makes

Jackson Pollock a contemporary painter? Reflect on the possibilities of how The Beat Movement and “The American Way” can be seen through this image.

Sign your journal with your number.

“A&P” Literary Devices Quiz

On a separate sheet of paper, please write down the answers to the following statements. You may use the story. You have 5-10 minutes.

List 3 similes from the story. (1 about the girls, 1 about the shoppers, 1 miscellaneous)

List 3 metaphors from the story. (1 about the girls, 1 about the shoppers, 1 miscellaneous)

What do the herring snacks represent in the story?

John Updike John Updike 1932-2009 Full scholarship to

Harvard Began writing in

1950 Staff writer for The

New Yorker 1960s-2000s wrote

Rabbit series On average, wrote

one novel per year “A&P” written

1961

Jeffery Brown interview with John Updike

“A&P” Literary Definitions

Foil – a character with similar traits as the protagonist, yet goes against the protagonist

Coming-of-age story – usually suggests a loss of innocence and an epiphany that leads to maturity

“A&P” Discussion Questions

Is Updike’s description of the other shoppers in the market positive or negative?

Is Sammy’s gesture of quitting “heroic” or something else?

Critics say that “A&P” is a modern-day fairy tale. Do you agree? Which characters fall into fairy tale stereotypes?

Is “A&P” a coming-of-age story …or nah? What assumptions does Sammy make about

his readers’ familiarity with the setting? Is the supermarket setting crucial to the story?

How are Queenie and Sammy’s worlds different?

“A&P” Discussion Questions

Where do you see hypocrisy in the story? To what extent does Sammy oversimplify many of

the customers and characters in the story? Who serves as a foil to Sammy in the story? We know the location, and time period of the novel.

What is the girls’ transgression (crime/error) in light of these circumstances?

At the end of the story, Sammy says, “…my stomach kind of fell as I felt how hard the world was going to be to me hereafter.” Why does he say this? What does he mean?

What previous literary movement does “A&P” reflect? Though it reflects a previous movement, what makes

“A&P” contemporary?

Toni Cade Bambara Born 1939 in Harlem, NY Social activist, professor,

social worker Died 1995 in Pennsylvania

from colon cancer Referred to her writing as

“upbeat fiction.” Works frequently told from

1st person perspective Narrator is often a sassy,

young girl who is tough, and brave

“The Lesson” Quiz Explain why Sylvia hates Miss Moore so

much.

Miss Moore is clearly trying to teach the children something; what is the lesson?

“The Lesson” Discussion In what ways is Miss Moore an outsider in her

own community? Why is Sylvia ashamed and angry when in F.A.O.

Schwartz? Why does Bambara compare Sylvia’s shame in

the toy store to the “crashing Catholic mass” incident?

Why does Bambara have Sylvia narrate the story instead of Miss Moore?

Which character is a foil for Sylvia in the story? Why?

What is important about the last phrase, “But ain’t nobody gonna beat me at nuthin.”

Writing: Journal #4.6 5/14/14 In someone else’s journal, compare “A&P” to

“The Lesson.”

Do both stories teach a lesson? If so, what is it?

Sign the journal with your number.

Confessional Poet - Sylvia Plath Read pg. 1049 Poems:

“Daddy” “Mirrors” “Jabberwocky”

“Jabberwocky” Johnny Depp Version Did the narrator slay the jabberwocky?

How can you tell? What literary devices do you see in the

poem? What is the point/purpose of the poem?

“Daddy” What is the tone of the poem? Some critics say the poem is angry. If you agree, why

is Plath so angry? How does Plath use her life to influence her poetry? What does Plath think of her father? What can you infer about Plath’s life? To what does she compare her father? Why does she

use these comparisons? How does this poem reflect the contemporary

movement? What images stood out to you while listening/reading

the poem? Does the poem carry more weight when listening to

the author read the poem?

Joyce Carol Oates

June 16, 1938 born in Lockport, New York Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland was

“the great treasure of my childhood, and the most profound literary influence of my life.”

Graduated from Syracuse University and then University of Wisconsin - Madison

1966 – “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been”

Won two O.Henry awards (1967 & 1973) 3 novels nominated for a Pulitzer Prize Teaches at Princeton University

plans to retire in July of 2014 2012 – Lifetime Literary Achievement

Award Writes longhand – 8am to 1pm every day “When people say there is too much

violence in my books, what they are saying is there is too much reality in life.”

SHE EVEN HAS A TWITTER @JoyceCarolOates

“Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”“Our house is made of glass… and our lives are made of glass; and there is nothing we can do to protect ourselves.” –Joyce Carol Oates

“Where Are You Going…” Interpretation

Which characters portray the idea that the face is a mask?

“The kitchen looked like a place she had never seen before.” Why is it important that Arnold is cutter her off from her past?

Why does Arnold Friend draw an X in the air? What does this imply?

Consider the numbers written on Arnold Friend’s car – 33, 19, 17 – What do you think they represent?

Why does Connie go against the stereotypes of a typical abduction victim? Is she acting like a hero or something else?

“Where Are You Going…”The End

When do you begin to become uncomfortable or suspicious of Arnold?

At the end of the story, Connie has an out of body experience, “She watched herself push the door slowly open…” Why?

Is Connie in danger? What happens to her? Why does Oates leave the ending of the story

ambiguous?

“Where Are You Going…” Characterization

When does Connie feel most alive? What is Ellie’s role in the development of the story? Oates admits the character of Arnold Friend was inspired

by “The Pied Piper of Tucson” a known rapist and murderer. How does the physical description of Friend paint him as evil?

Comment on how Connie and Arnold are depicted in the following excerpt: “And his face was a familiar face, somehow; the jaw and

chin and cheeks slightly darkened, because he hadn’t shaved for a day or two, and the nose long and hawk-like, sniffling as if she were a treat he was going to gobble up and it was all a joke.”

“Where Are You Going…” Making Connections

Consider the story of “Little Red Riding Hood.” What connections can you make between the stories?

How do the references to music enhance the story? How do the references to teenage culture enhance the

story? Greg Johnson, in Understanding Joyce Carol Oates,

argues that “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” has explicit feminist concerns. What are those concerns?

What does the story tell us about how physical beauty is perceived by society?

How is “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” a commentary on American society?

Writing: Journal #4.7 5/21/14 Choose one of the two elements to write

about: Connie’s behavior or the relationship with her family, specifically her mother.

Why were these elements played up more in the film compared to the story? What effect does this have on the story, or your previous conceptions about the story?

Sign your journal with your number.

Confessional PoetsAnne Sexton

Read pg. 1055

Poems: “The Bells” “Young”

Poems: “Home After

Three Months Away”

“The Old Flame”

Robert Lowell

“The Bells”

To whom is the speaker speaking?

What is the tone & mood of the poem?

How does the narrator feel about her father; how can you tell?

What prompts the speaker to remember the past?

What do the rings in lines 18 & 21 represent?

“Circus” Marc Chagall

“Young” What is the tone of

the poem? What is the mood of the poem?

How do the images present impact the tone?

Why does the speaker say that her youth took place “a thousand doors ago?”

What is important about the metaphor used to describe her parents’ window?

“Me and the Moon” Arthur Dove

Robert Lowell - Background

Born March 1, 1917 in Boston Known for being a bully Went to Harvard for two years Married & divorced Jean Stafford; Married &

divorced Elizabeth Hardwick; Married Caroline Blackwood

Mental health issues – in and out of mental institutions due to manic depression

Died 1977 from a heart attack

“Home After Three Months Away”

Where do you think he was? What literary device is prevalent in this

poem? What images stand out the most? Knowing where Lowell was, how do

these images enhance the poem?

“My Old Flame” Written for his first wife – Jean Stafford Summarize each stanza of the poem.

What is happening? How do you interpret the 4th and 5th

stanza? Why does Lowell reference the

American flag and the red, white, and blue colors?

Is his wife dead or just … away from him?

“Christina’s World” – Andrew Newell Wyeth

Writing: Journal #4.8 5/27/14 How does “Christina’s World” reflect the

contemporary movement and the literature in it?

Sign your journal with your number.

Congrats, you’re done journaling!