the american novel willa cather s my antonia
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- In the Biographies module, read the biographical sketch for Willa Cather (1873-1947); [if you have difficulty accessing Oxford Reference materials, read this biography (Links to an external site.) instead.]
- In the Reference Essays module, read her article, “The Novel Démeublé” (Link to the Story)(1922);
- In the Readings module, read Introduction through end of Chapter IX in Book I of Cather’s My Antonia.
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- Our reading of the novel will be broken down into three parts:
- Part 1: read the Introduction through the end of Chapter IX in Book I (Link to Story).
- You will attempt to express as clearly and memorably as you can some of your ideas and reactions to the novel over the first half of Book I in Willa Cather’s My Antonia (from the introduction to the end of Chapter IX in Book I). Discuss any aspect(s) of the reading which you find important and/or interesting. As you begin to create an outline for your paper, you might consider such questions as, how did I react when I read the assigned reading, and what caused me to react this way? What passages/scenes caught my attention and why? Discuss what interests you most about what you’ve read. In your response, please be sure to discuss one or more of the literary elements we use to discuss literature: plot, character, setting, point of view, style, tone, language, theme, symbolism, allegory, and image. Consider these literary terms as tools that you pull out of your “tool box” to analyze fiction. I will expect that you will be making specific references to the readings.
- Please be sure to address the following in the reaction paper: Willa Cather devotes a great deal of attention to describing the land of Nebraska. What is the importance of the land? Review the last paragraph in Book I, Chapter II: “I sat down in the middle of the garden” and read to the end of paragraph: “When it comes to one, it comes as naturally as sleep.” What do you make of this passage? What themes are present? How do you understand this passage?
- Please be sure to address the following in the reaction paper: Reflect on Cather’s observations on the novel, “The Novel Démeublé” and respond to the question: Does she practice in My Antonia what she preaches in the article?
- Write one question that came to your mind as you were completing this assignment.
- Your paper needs to be 2 pages in length (double space, 12 pt.). Please be sure to include your first and last name in the upper left hand corner of the first page of your paper.
- Use examples from the readings to support your points.
- Cite your sources using the MLA citations style.
