English Midterm Material: American Studies / January 2016
1st marking Period
Maggie: A Girl of the Streets : Stephen Crane
“A Deal in Wheat” : Frank Norris
“The Story of an Hour” : Kate Chopin
The Jungle : Upton Sinclair
“Chicago” : Carl Sandburg
The SpoonRiver Anthology : poems by Edgar Lee Masters
“Seth Compton” / “Flossie Cabanis”
Poems by E. A. Robinson : “Richard Cory” and “The Mill”
Johnny Got His Gun : Dalton Trumbo
“War is Kind” by Stephen Crane and “Grass” by Carl Sandburg
2nd marking Period
The Great Gatsby : F. Scott Fitzgerald
Poetry of the Harlem Renaissance
“A Black Man Talks of Reaping” Arna Bontemps
“From the DarkTower” Countee Cullen
“I, Too, Sing America” Langston Hughes
Of Mice and Men : John Steinbeck
Grammar Material
Identifying sentences, fragments, and run-ons
Citation usage
I Maggie: Girl of the Streets
Author:
Define Naturalism:
Characteristics of Naturalism:
Main characters (briefly describe)
Maggie
Jimmie
Mrs. Johnson
Pete
Nell
Setting
Main Themes
A)B) C)
Elements of Irony
Crane’s message about the impact of the environment
II “A Deal in Wheat”
Author:
Define muckraker:
Characters:
Sam Lewiston:
Truslow:
Hornung:
Main Themes: A)B)
III The Jungle
Author:
Purpose for the novel:
End result:
IV “The Story of an Hour”
Author:
Main character:
Title:
Dramatic Irony:
Main theme:
V Poetry of Edgar Lee Masters
Name of his famous collection of poems: ______
1) “Seth Compton”
- former occupation :
-Disappointment
-Seth’s message (relate to muckraking):
2) “Flossie Cabanis”
- former occupation
-Disappointment
-Compare to Maggie
VI Poetry of E. A. Robinson
- focus of his poetry
1) “Richard Cory”
-description of Cory
-diction used to describe Cory:
-Townspeople’s opinion of him:
-Irony of his death:
-Themes A)
B)
2) “The Mill”
-Why is the miller depressed?
- Theme:
VII The poem “Chicago”
Poet :
The poem uses the literary device apostrophe. Apostrophe is
VII War poems
“War is Kind” poet is ______
The phrases “war is kind” and “virtue of slaughter” are examples of ______
“Grass” poet is ______
The lines “Pile the bodies high at Austerlitz and Waterloo./ Shovel them under and let me work-” are an
example of ______.
VIII Johnny Got His Gun
Author:
Romantic Vision of War:
Realistic Vision:
Setting:
Define flashback:
Define stream of consciousness:
Main characters:
A) Joe Bonham
B) Kareen
C) Mike Birkman
D) Mr. Bonham
Joe’s opinions about war
Irony of ending
Main Themes:
A)
B)
C)
D)
E)
VIII The Great Gatsby
Author:Wife:
Name of the era:
Define the term “carpe diem”
Define the term “expatriate”
Define the meaning of “The Lost Generation”
Main characters
Nick Carraway
Gatsby
Tom
Daisy
Jordan
Klipspringer
Myrtle Wilson
George Wilson
Wolfsheim
Setting
East Egg
West Egg
Valley of Ashes
Symbols
green light
T. J. Eckleburg
Significant events
Gatsby’s parties
Gatsby’s funeral
careless driving
Themes
IX Poetry of the Harlem Renaissance
What is the Harlem Renaissance?
1) “I, Too, Sing America”
Poet:
How is the black man’s place in society portrayed?
What promise does the black man make?
Why will white America some day be ashamed?
2) “A Black Man Talks of Reaping”
Poet:
Define “reaping”
Why is the black man upset?
3) “From the DarkTower”
Poet:
What warning is given?
X Of Mice and Men
Author:
Brother’s keeper idea
Setting:
Main characters:
George
Lennie
Slim
Candy
Carlson
Curley
Curley’s wife
Important incidents
Weed incident
Shooting of Candy’s dog
Candy joins the farm dream
Dead puppy episode
Curley’s wife’s death
Lennie’s death
Themes