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American Perspectives

American Perspectives. Short Texts Lecture on 15 September 2014 by Sigrid Brevik Wangsness. “Letter to Ma” b y Merle Woo (1941- ) Asian-American writer and university lecturer. C ontext. “Letter to Ma” was written in 1980 A personal and autobiographical letter

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American Perspectives

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  1. American Perspectives Short Texts Lecture on 15 September 2014 by Sigrid Brevik Wangsness

  2. “Letter to Ma” by Merle Woo (1941- ) Asian-American writer and university lecturer

  3. Context “Letter to Ma” was written in 1980 A personal and autobiographical letter The Asian-American experience: “model immigrants”?

  4. 1st, 2nd and 3rd generation immigrants The female immigrant experience Ma’s story The daughter’s story (= the narrator, “I”) Emily and Paul’s stories

  5. Generation gap How would you summarize the difference between being a first, second and third-generation Asian American as portrayed in this letter? Describe the conflicting feelings the daughter has about “Ma”. (Compare the introduction to the conclusion). The author gives us a very visual image of the “two worlds” the two women represent. Which?

  6. Physical security vs. emotional legacy For Ma, survival was the main concern, and in many ways she exemplifies the cost of immigration in human happiness. What is the daughter’s main goal? How does the daughter define her role as a “Yellow Feminist”? What will she fight against?

  7. Lack of communication A major theme in immigrant literature generally is lack of communication. Why do you think the generation gap may be particularly painful for 1st and 2nd generation immigrants? What is it that the narrator feels she still needs from her mother? How do Ma’s grandchildren provide hope for the future? What is “the larger framework” in which the daughter sees their story?

  8. Barack Obama: KeynoteAddress, Democratic Convention 2004 (Senator from Illinois)

  9. Context Importantspeeches in US history The roleofthe President as a unifying symbol What is a keynoteaddress? Who was Barack Obama then?

  10. American ideals and values Whichtypical American ideals and valuesdoes Mr. Obama refer to in his speech? Which major historiceventsdoeshemention? Whydoesheusehistory in thisway, do youthink?

  11. Presentation techniques Whataresomeofthepresentationtechniques and rhetoricaldevicesthatMr. Obama uses? How wouldyouevaluatethedeliveryof his talk? Givesomeexamples. Whataboutthestructureof his speech?

  12. Tom Wolfe: A Man in Full: «The Saddlebags» American author and journalist (1931- )

  13. Context New Journalism Realism, satire, humour Studyof a specificcontext Here: Atlanta in the 1990s. The worldofpolitics and business

  14. «The Saddlebags» • Setting? • Topic? • Main characters? - Charlie Croker - Mr. Peepgass - Harry Zale - Mr. Croker’s staff and the bank staff

  15. American business culture How wouldyoucharacterizethemainparticipants at themeeting? Brieflysummarizetheresultofthemeeting. Why, then, does Mr. Peepgass stand there, «stunned, «speechless» at the end ofthemeeting? What is theimpressionyougetofAmerican business culture in thisexcerpt?

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