Last Clog Topic: Summarizing American Literature, Preparation for Memoir.

I personally thought that there was a consistent theme throughout American Lit class which is resistance. Emerson's essay about non-conformity, Thoreau's Walden both insist individual's independence from society. Beat Generation tried to go against society and chose drugs, sex, and alcohol as methods to do this. Sylvia Plath and Emily Dickinson isolated themselves from society and mentioned death as a total relief from the world. And I thought these all connect to common theme of resisting against society. What kind of pattern did you find in American Literature?, what did you relate to the most?

Debouis

Debouis referred to the double consciousness of black people in "The Souls of Black Folks". How does his revelation about this relate to Romanticism? And with the way that he defines his double consciousness, do you think his optimism about over coming it seem possible?

What are the poetic merits of T.S. Elliot's Wasteland?

T.S. Elliot's Wasteland is a poetic work no matter how confusing and jumbled it is. It is also included in the Norton which says that the poem benefits literature. What are the poetic merits of Elliot's Wasteland?

Is Death of a Salesman Realist or Modernist?

While Death of a Salesman does not fall into the realm of Realist or Modernist writing, it obviously is influenced by both literary movements. Which style, in your opinion, influences the play predominately?