Your second out-of-class essay will focus on American women writers of the latter 19th century.
Due date: Friday, March 5. The overarching question is this: how have the stories by our five writers (Freeman, Gilman, Spofford, Alcott, Jewett) equipped us to make sense of Kate Chopin's "Desiree's Baby" as an example of 19th century feminine fiction?
To answer this question, consider the following heuristic:
1) first, think about the common themes and formal devices that we've encountered in our reading of 19th century women writers. Themes might include: figures of the female artist; imprisonment or containment; male vs. female "traits" (e.g. ideologies of gender); "loopholes"; the role of narrators. (There are other possibilities - - but these should provide a good starting point.)
2) second, read Chopin's story carefully.
3) third, think about what common themes or formal devices you can find in Chopin's narrative.
4) fourth, think about how Chopin both re-uses these and re-shapes them - - both taking up familiar themes and devices and bending or tweaking them to her own purposes (e.g. comparison and contrast).
5) fifth, decide which theme or device seems most helpful in making sense of Chopin's story.
6) finally, write a two page, typed essay that explains how Chopin belongs to our group of writers based on her use of a common or familiar theme or formal device!
Questions? Ask me in class, or stop by my office.
