LITR 4326 Early American Literature Model Assignments 2017 final exam—Index to Sample Answers (final exam assignment)

Essay 1 on overall learning experience
(alphabetical order)

Chelsea Brotherton, Evaluating the Qualities of Pleasurable Literature

Cynthia Cleveland, History Matters

Tanner House, How Should We be Remembered?

John Silverio, Revised Thinking on Why We Write

Essay 2: (options)

2a. Early American Literature as the "origin story of American literature": How does "Literature" evolve from the Renaissance, 17c / Baroque, and Enlightenment to the early Romantic era? How such definitions may apply to or compete for what we study or teach as literature?

2b. Review & compare 3-4 periods of study (Renaissance, Seventeenth Century, Enlightenment, Romanticism)

Chelsea Brotherton, Reviewing Periods: Seventeenth Century, Enlightenment, & Romanticism

Cynthia Cleveland, Gateway to Romanticism

2c. "Which America to teach?" What built-in advantages, disadvantages to both dominant-culture and multicultural emphases?

Tanner House, Whose America?

2d. Most challenging or inspiring idea or content in the course + resolution.
(alphabetical order)

2e. Teaching multiple texts through intertextuality and historicism in addition to or instead of intensive single-text study.(alphabetical order)

John Silverio, To What Extent Does Background Information Matter in Literature?

Optional short essay #3 describing and evaluating Charlotte Temple and / or Edgar Huntly.