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Contemporary

Contemporary. 1939-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

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Contemporary

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  1. Contemporary 1939-present

  2. Transitions • Wars, wars, and more wars • Social protests • Introduction of technology • Destruction that comes with it • Technological paranoia • Media saturated culture

  3. Transition • Read “Political and Social Milestones” • 794-795 • Read “Contemporary Literature 1939 to Present” • Pgs. 796-809

  4. 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

  5. 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

  6. 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

  7. “One: Number 31” – Jackson Pollock

  8. 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.

  9. “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?

  10. 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

  11. “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

  12. “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?

  13. “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?

  14. 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

  15. “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?

  16. “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.”

  17. 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.

  18. Confessional Poet - Sylvia Plath • Read pg. 1049 • Poems: • “Daddy” • “Mirrors” • “Jabberwocky”

  19. “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?

  20. “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?

  21. 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.Henryawards (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

  22. “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

  23. “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?

  24. “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?

  25. “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.”

  26. “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?

  27. 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.

  28. Confessional Poets Anne Sexton Read pg. 1055 Poems: “The Bells” “Young” Robert Lowell • Poems: • “Home After Three Months Away” • “The Old Flame”

  29. “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

  30. “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

  31. 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

  32. “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?

  33. “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?

  34. “Christina’s World” – Andrew Newell Wyeth

  35. 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!

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