Langston Hughes and the Harlem Renaissance

A New View on Women: Kate Chopin

Kate Chopin (1951-1904) was born and raised in St Louis (Missouri), married at 19 and settled in New Orleans, had six children, and after her husband's death, returned to St.Louis and began a literary career. She believed in spontaneity when writing, so many of her stories strike readers as anecdotes. Her best novel, The Awakening, was published in 1899, though it was not well received in its day. Her writing deals with women's situation in the late 19th century, and her style goes beyond the typical local color of Mid-western writers of the time, to acieve a deep psychological insight of her characters. As you read "A Pair of Silk Stockings", consider how she portrays "Little Mrs Sommers" and her thoughts, desires, and wishes, in contrast to what is expected from her.

PPT Emily Dickinson

“I would prefer not to”

In the short story “Bartleby, the Scrivener: A Story of Wall Street”, Melville portrays the alienation of the most powerful financial and economic centre in the USA. Bartleby prefers “not to” get involved in that capitalist world, but the consequences are fatal.

         Read the story and be ready to discuss in class the key to understand this strange case.

More poems by Emily Dickinson

Below you may see the first lines of the poems by Emily Dickison which we'll analyze in class, next Friday. You may find the complete poems in the Internet.

"Much madness is divinest sense"http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/182156
"He ate and drank the precious words"http://www.bartleby.com/113/1021.html
"The past is such a curious creature"http://www.bartleby.com/113/1128.html

Poems by Emily Dickinson

In class, we'll read and analize the following poems:
"Success is counted sweetest" http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/success-is-counted-sweetest/
"Heaven is what I cannot reach" http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/heaven-mdash-is-what-i-cannot-reach/
"Hope is the thing with feathers" http://www.online-literature.com/dickinson/827/