#1 COURTLY/BAWDY LOVE, #2 EMILY AND ANNA, #3 Short Stories of AFRICA
#1 COURTLY/BAWDY LOVE
Marie de France (12th century, French) "Laustic" Geoffery Chaucer (English, 14th century), Canterbury Tales' "The Miller's Tale" not in textbook. Find web link in Wk 4-5 Readings)
Marie de France's tale is a "lay."(See textbook introduction. Review the introduction in Wk 4-5 Readings for "Marie de France" to compare with "fabliau" in Miller's Tale below.)
"The Miller's Tale" is an example of a fabliau. These travelers telling each other tales are a motley "middle" medieval group: A knight, a nun, a Pardoner, a physician, a merchant, a plowman, a friar, a summoner, a miller--a total of 29 stories and 29 people. A "Host" moderates the group, making the storytellers take turns. The Knight has just told a tale of "courtly love." The Miller is drunk and decides to butt in before his turn--having taken exception to The Knight's proper, aristocratic tale of romance--and tells a love triangle "fabliau." What about the fabliau makes it the opposite of the Knight's properly romantic tale of nobility and, of course, the courtly love found in Eludic, from which the Knight's tale sprang.) And why would a bawdy tale be so fitting for this motley Middle Ages crew?
Questions (choose one):
1. What is a lay? What is a fabliau? Compare/contrast using examples from the stories. • Find definition of "lay" in "Laustic" textbook introduction. • Find definition of "fabliau" at this website--(read first several paragraphs). Click on this link (or paste into browser if not live): http://sites.fas.harvard.edu/~chaucer/special/litsubs/fabliaux/
2. In light of the definition of courtly love, along with what you think of "The Miller's Tale," compare/contrast these two "love" stories that were written 2 centuries apart. (See Wk 4-5 Readings for background on "courtly love.")
How to cite "The Miller's Tale" quotes since it's not in our textbook?
I've placed the info on how to quote from a website URL inside your Works Cited Quick Guide in CONTENT. You are responsible to cite this correctly. See how there.
#2 EMILY AND ANNA Emily Dickinson (19th century American) Requiem, Anna Akhmatova (20th century Russian)
[img alt="" src="https://elearn.apsu.edu/content/enforced2/6441359-APSU_201617_LALI_ENGL2030_SECW1B_SECW2B_COMB/images-131.jpg?_&d2lSessionVal=twBnX3Ch8JppszTbFJmQbaOZM&ou=6441359">
Anna Akhmatova Emily Dickinson
Emily Dickinson had no poems of consequence published under her name during her life and only a handful anonymously published. Yet somehow we are still reading her. How did that happen? What does that say about something universal in her work?
With Anna Akhmatova we have a voice of dissent during Stalin's reign of USSR terror. She was not allowed to be published during all those years, even committing some to memory for fear her work would be lost before her repression lifted. It's a mother's cry over a lost son during Stalin's reign. What does their existence say about the personal power of the pen despite politics and a universal truth?
Questions (choose one):
1. Answer the underlined questions above and compare the "universal" quality in both women's works.
2. Emily wasn't oppressed by a dictatorship nor in peril for her life because of her writing. In many ways, she is the exact opposite of Anna--introverted reclusive and outspoken advocate. Can you see any similarities between these two women's life and their writing subjects? Compare/contrast, either way, as you see fit.
#3 Short Stories of AFRICA Doris Lessing, 20th century, "The Old Chief Mchlanga" (1919) Chinua Achebe, 20th century, "Chike's School Days" (1960)
These two stories are from 20th century Africa, one at turn of century, one in mid-century.
Doris Lessing is a white British writer who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2007. Chinua Achebe is a black Nigerian whose novella, Things Fall Apart, is the most widely read book in modern African literature (the entirety of it was in the earlier textbook we used. Since it is now out of the current edition we are using, we can at least read this short story that is in its place.
Short stories are glimpses that may have meaning for what they say about the cultures of which they are offering a peek, at a certain point in time and place. For your chosen question, let's compare/contrast these two stories. Use quotes to back up your ideas.
Questions (choose one):
1. How do the points of view differ in these two stories and how are they similar?
2. How do they seem similar in tone, style, or "moral" and how do they seem different in tone, style or "moral"?
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________ #4
20th century Czech surrealism and 19th century American realism
Franz Kafka, "Metamorphosis" (Czech, 20th century) Kate Chopin, "Story of an Hour" (American, 1894)
[img alt="" src="https://elearn.apsu.edu/content/enforced2/6441359-APSU_201617_LALI_ENGL2030_SECW1B_SECW2B_COMB/images-6.jpg?_&d2lSessionVal=twBnX3Ch8JppszTbFJmQbaOZM&ou=6441359">
Kafka
(Review the Answers.com link in Wk 4-5 Readings for more background.) By the way, recently, one of my World Lit students pulled out her father's version of this story in the original German, and wrote this comment on the Discussion forum: "In the original German text, Kafka uses the word "Ungeziefer" to describe what Gregor changes into. "Ungeziefer" translated into English is vermin. Beetles are cute German cars with great gas mileage. Gregor turned into something more vile than that."
Why would anyone want to write a story about what it would be like to awake one day as "vermin?" Remember that the common worker back then-in that time and place-was just learning the dehumanizing aspects of a totalitarian society....the one that would make bleak most of the 20th century for those eastern European countries: 1915 was the start of WW I which led to WWII and its atrocities which led to the Iron Curtain countries of communism. It was a dreary century for his country. The answer could be political or social commentary or personal commentary. You decide.
--Study the Introduction to the textbook's reading for the BEST clues to this story. --Look up the words "existential" and "kafkaesque" in a dictionary to foster your understanding and your writing about it.
• Here's an online dictionary: Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary (If link is broken, copy URL into browser: http://www.m-w.com
Chopin
Be sure to read the background information in Wk 4-5 Readings. Kate Chopin was ostracized in her time for writing so daringly about the role of women in that suppressed society. Women's suffrage--the right to vote--seemed an impossible dream fought over half a century (Women didn't get the vote until 1920 incredibly enough, even though the women's suffrage movement began in the mid-1800s.)This is how she's been described: Kate Chopin, a female writer in the 1800's writes stories of women in various states of independence from males. She can be viewed as a writer of the beginning of women's rights although she does not declare herself a feminist by any stretch of the imagination... Questions for Kafka/Chopin (choose one):
1. Do you think these 2 stories were trying to make some societal commentary?
•Was "The Story of an Hour" about, say, women's roles/lives in the time period? (Social commentary.)
•Was "Metamorphosis" making some comment on, say, the worker's or breadwinner's role in that time period? Making him feel like a bug? (Social or political commentary) • Back up your answers with at least one cited quote per story. See "Wk 4 QA/Forum Background for "Story of an Hour."
2. Surrealistic "Metamorphosis" is very different type of storytelling from the realistic "The Story of an Hour," but it gets its point across using the same literary techniques as all stories. • Choose a literary technique from the list below for either story and discuss how it adds to the success of the story:
-point of view
-setting
-irony
TIP: If you didn't take me for 1020 and/or aren't familiar with these terms, choose the other question. Or look up these terms. Here is an online glossary:
Literary Term Definition Glossary ( Copy this URL into browser if this link is broken: http://literary-devices.com/ )
[How to cite "The Story of an Hour" quotes since it's not in our textbook?>
I've placed the info on how to quote from a website URL inside your Works Cited Quick Guide in CONTENT. You are responsible to cite this correctly. See how there.
English assignment
Name
Instructor
Institutional Affiliation
Date
1. COURTLY/BAWDY LOVE
Marie de France (12th century, French) "Laustic".
Geoffery Chaucer (English, 14th century), Canterbury Tales' "The Miller's Tale"
Question
What is a lay? What is a fabliau? Compare/contrast using examples from the stories. • Find definition of "lay" in "Laustic" textbook introduction. • Find definition of "fabliau" at this website--(read first several paragraphs). Click on this link (or paste into browser if not live) http://sites.fas.harvard.edu/~chaucer/special/litsubs/fabliaux/
Answer
A lay, is a form of medieval French and English short lovepoetry and tales, usually 600–1000 lines. A lay is characterized by rhyming tales of love and bravery.
A fabliau is a shortfunny tale in stanzas, usually insulting and often obscene.This style uses a real setting; it is upfront and uses the present tense (Geoffrey, 2012).
2. EMILY AND ANNA
Emily Dickinson (19th century American) Requiem, Anna Akhmatova (20th century Russian)
Question:
Emily wasn't oppressed by a dictatorship or in peril for her life because of her writing. In many ways, she is the exact opposite of Anna--introverted reclusive and outspoken advocate. Can you see any similarities between these two women's life and their writing subjects? Compare/contrast, either way, as you see fit.
Similarities of Anna and Emily
- Both poets did not get the support and motivation they needed from friends, family and the government. Emily was discouraged to publish her poems by his critic and mentor- Thomas Wentworth Higginson. After 1922, Anna had great struggle finding a producer; her poetry was banned unofficially from 1925 until 1940.
- Emily had a loving family who never rejected her as a poet; she was allowed to use the family library to develop her poetry while Anna’s father on the other hand was irritated by her Anna’s poetry aspirations (Akhmatova, 1968). He felt that she was embarrassing the family by becoming a poetand as a result, she was involuntarily given a pen nameof her maternal great-grandmother.
- Both Poets were creative writers who unusuallyexpressed their sentiments through poetry. They both wrote poems about misery, love, death, damage, among others which are widely read through the universe.
Differences of Anna and Emily
- Emily’s poems were in unfinished forms, with no clear definitive version or dates. The publication of her selected poems were substandard while Anna’s poems were well composed and of high quality.
- Emily’s poems were not published during her lifetime until she died while Anna published several books of her works and in 1964 was awarded the Etna-Taormina prize and an honorary higher degree from Oxford University in 1965.
- Contrary to Anna who was popular deeply treasured and praised by the Russian folks during her lifetime, Emily was not famous or popular during her lifetime.
3. Short Stories of AFRICA
Doris Lessing, 20th century, "The Old Chief Mchlanga" (1919) Chinua Achebe, 20th century, "Chike's School Days” (1960)
Question:
How do the points of view differ in these two stories and how are they similar?
The two stories have different points of view in that the Doris Lessing in "The Old Chief Mchlanga" brings outhow vastly different two cultures can be.She shows the dislike that white people had for the natives who were black and how they oppressed the natives on their own land. The chief's son notes: “My father says: All this land, this land you call yours, is his land, and belongs to our people”. On the other hand, Chinua Achebe’s point of view in the story Chike's School Days was how Africans have embraced white people’s culture.The main character; Chike was baptized as John Chike Obiajulu which signifies an important feature in his life. His parents gave him the first name, ‘John’ so that he can fit in the white man society. In this story, Africans show flexibility in the ability to adapt and learn “in the ways of the white man”. Achebe also put and effort to unite several cultures presented worldwide in the story. “Once there was a wizard. He lived in Africa. He went to China to get a lamp.”(Achebe, 1991)
In both stories, we get to see that the main characters are fond of the American culture (white people’s culture) which they have adopted. Eventually the characters end up respecting and acknowledging the other culture.
4. 20th century Czech surrealism and 19th century American realism
Question
Surrealistic "Metamorphosis" is very different type of storytelling from the realistic "The Story of an Hour," but it gets its point across using the same literary techniques as all stories. • Choose a literary technique from the list below for either story and discuss how it adds to the success of the story:
The author Kate Chopin in"Story of an Hour" uses irony to involve a reader's attention and to quickly advance the story to deeper levels. The author used situational Irony to alter what wasexpected to happen and what actually happens.Events took an abrupt turn afterMrs. Mallard, felt free and energized;"breathed a quick prayer that life might be long" after receiving the news of her husband’s demise. But instead when the husband walks in through the front door, Mrs Mallard with a "piercing cry" abruptly dies and the husband lives (Chopin, 2013). Example of verbal irony in this story is by the author, "a heart trouble". The reader understands the statement means trouble of the soul not the physical ‘heart’ organ later in the story. Chopin uses dramatic irony on two the characters Josephine believes her sister is so grief-stricken that she wishes to be alone. However, the reader learns that Louise needs to be unaccompanied so that she can comprehend and rejoiceabout her freedom. She whispered ..."free, free, free!".When Brently Mallard walks through the front door, unhurt and unaware of the accident; Louise dies of a heart-attack of what the doctors believe is joy. Use of irony helped the writer to show advancedbadinsinuation, even yet the phrasingwas positive.
In theFranz Kafka’s "Metamorphosis” story, irony is created to help the writer success the story in different levels; It is ironical how Gregor’s family are desperate to get in his room and know if he was okwhen his bedroom door was locked yet when he unlocked it and they realized that he had morphed into a huge insect, they isolate and neglect him even though he is still part of the family.Kafka also creates situational satire when the father is more worried about his son’s inability to go to work but less troubled about his transformation.
References
Achebe, C. (1991) Chike’s school days. Girls at war and other stories, 37-42.Web
Akhmatova, A. A. (1968). Requiem. Main Verlag. Retrieved from https://www.jstor.org/stable/128012
Chopin, K. (2013). The story of an hour. Blackstone Audio. Web
Geoffrey, C. (2012, July). Canterbury Tales'. "The Miller's Tale". Retrieved from http://sites.fas.harvard.edu/~chaucer/special/litsubs/fabliaux/
.png)