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