MEG-11 American Novel : Selected University Questions

 

1.     How would you place Theodore Dreiser in the context of naturalism to understand his contribution to American fiction?

 

2.     What are the major thematic concerns of the post Second World War American novelists ? Discuss with reference to any two of the novels prescribed in your syllabus?

 

3.     Novelists of the nineteenth century America may be considered as "Social visionaries". Discuss with reference to the novels in your syllabus?

 

4.     The American Novel of the 19th century reflects the ideal of individual liberty. Discuss with reference to two novels in your syllabus?

 

5.     Attempt a critical essay on Naturalism in American fiction.

 

6.     Discuss the moral, religious and philosophical aspects as dealt with in the 19th century American novel?

 

7.     Briefly discuss some of the recurring images in Sister Carrie and comment on their significance?

 

8.     Evaluate Sister Carrie as a novel about life in the Modern American city?

 

9.     Explore the concept of The American Dream' in The Great Gatsby?

               What is the significance of the title ' The Colour Purple?

          Discuss Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby as a critique of the American social structure of the 1920s? 

 

          How does The Color Purple explore the issues of racial, sexual and class prejudice ?

 

     Analyse Alice Walker's The Color Purple as a Womanist' text?

 

1  Discuss Scott Momaday's A House Made of Dawn as a bildungsroman. Also comment on the significance of the title of the novel?

 

1    How does A House Made of Dawn portray the relationship between Francisco and Abel ?

 

1   Critically analyse the character of Holden Caulfield in Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye?

 

       Discuss The Catcher in the Rye as a coming-of-age novel?

 

1  Critically analyse the plot of the novel The Catcher in the Rye?

 

1     Write a detailed note on the language in The Catcher in the Rye. How does the colloquial, idiom contribute to creating the realistic character of Holden Caulfield ?

A Valediction : Forbidding mourning by John Donne summary and analysis

As virtuous men pass mildly away,

   And whisper to their souls to go,

Whilst some of their sad friends do say

   The breath goes now, and some say, No:

So let us melt, and make no noise,

   No tear-floods, nor sigh-tempests move;

'Twere profanation of our joys

   To tell the laity our love.

Moving of th' earth brings harms and fears,

   Men reckon what it did, and meant;

But trepidation of the spheres,

   Though greater far, is innocent.

Dull sublunary lovers' love

   (Whose soul is sense) cannot admit

Absence, because it doth remove

   Those things which elemented it.

But we by a love so much refined,

   That our selves know not what it is,

Inter-assured of the mind,

   Care less, eyes, lips, and hands to miss.

Our two souls therefore, which are one,

   Though I must go, endure not yet

A breach, but an expansion,

   Like gold to airy thinness beat.

If they be two, they are two so

   As stiff twin compasses are two;

Thy soul, the fixed foot, makes no show

   To move, but doth, if the other do.

And though it in the center sit,

   Yet when the other far doth roam,

It leans and hearkens after it,

   And grows erect, as that comes home.

Such wilt thou be to me, who must,

   Like th' other foot, obliquely run;

Thy firmness makes my circle just,

   And makes me end where I begun

 

 A Valediction : Forbidding mourning is a classic metaphysical poem written by the leading figure in the metaphysical group of poets John Donne. As a typical metaphysical poem it begins abruptly with an unlikely comparison. He states that virtuous men die gently Without making any fuss. Even their friends cannot detect whether the soul left or not from their body. Because the death happens so slightly in an easeful manner. Similarly the speaker is about to leave his home. He does not expect tearful lamentation and noisy mourning from his wife. 

He in fact wants to express such a refined version of spiritual love towards the ordinary people. He states that these kind of unnecessary or showy expressions such as tears Sighs and lamination destroy their happy life. Thus, the speaker wanted to pass gently as the soul leaves from the body of a virtuous person.

 

Natural disasters like earthquakes lead to troubles and harms. men shall definitely discuss the cause and effect of such incidents. But far away there are certain movements happening in the solar system or in the sphear of earth. that never unsettle the living beings as it is just a habitual action and human kind is least bothered about it. The speaker actually wanted to convey the fact that his movement too should be that much innocent and peaceful.

 

Ordinary lovers (common folks) cannot accept this separation. It may seriously damage their love. This physical distance perhaps affect their true love.

 

The speaker wants to assert that their love is special as it is refined in spiritual sense. the bond of the mind is beyond explanation, there is no role for the physical beauty such as eyes, lips and hand. 

 

Their two physical bodies are united with a single soul. As he moves there is no chance for a break but only and expansion. Their love is that much genuine and as flexible as gold. The fine metal gold can be converted into any form while all other metals may break; while the malleability of the gold is remarkable. Thus, by using this metaphysical conceit the speaker compares his love with the fine metal gold.

 

Here comes the classic example of the metaphysical conceit. later the speaker equates his love with the stiff twin compass. In order to form a perfect circle one foot should be always fixed, so his wife remains in the home contemplating the true love while the husband leaves and works for their family.

This unlike but rational as well as logical comparison is the unique quality of a metaphysical poem they unified the sense of emotion and intellect. The speaker concludes the poem by saying that "Thy firmness makes my circle just and makes me end where I begun". Their circle of life becomes perfect. Because of their bond of love is firm and unshakable.

 

A Valediction : Forbidding mourning as a Metaphysical Poem

 

The term ‘Metaphysical Poets’ was coined by Dr. Samuel Johnson to describe the 17th century poets including John Donne, George Herbert, Andrew Marvell and Abraham Cowley. They had a rational and intellectual view points towards poetry and remarkably unified the sensibilities of emotion and intellect.

 

Their poetry is characterized by abrupt beginning, random and unlike comparison, verbal humour along with life philosophy and heavy use of literary devices like metaphor, irony, paradox and hyperbole.

 

According to Dr.Samuel Johnson "the metaphysical poets were men of learning, and, to show their learning was their whole endeavour". They possess a modern sensibility as they brought daring experimentation in the field of poetry both in form and theme.

 

Following are the general features of metaphysical poetry:

 

·        It discarded all the conventional traditions and poetic diction as it is argumentative or conversational in form and employs colloquial expressions.

 

·        More logical analytical and philosophic rather than romantic.

 

·        Random and candid expressions.

 

·        Extremely intelligent and witty.

 

·        Use of metaphysical conceit (unconventional comparison) - mixing of two unlike things.

 

·        Brings ideas from various disciplines like geography, science, religion, mathematics and astronomy.

 

After all they are great scholars and their intelligence reflected in the verses.

 

The poem a valediction forbidding mourning begins abruptly with an unusual rather shocking and unexpected comparison. As the speaker compares his leaving home with the death of a virtuous man and goes on with these sort of Frank and irregular comparisons. Later he compares his movement with the movement of solar system. Donne heavily uses figures of speech such as extended metaphor and hyperbole. Later, concludes the poem with two dignified metaphysical conceits such as gold and compass.

The Second Coming Poem by William Butler Yeats

 

 

Turning and turning in the widening gyre   

The falcon cannot hear the falconer;

Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;

Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,

The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere   

The ceremony of innocence is drowned;

The best lack all conviction, while the worst   

Are full of passionate intensity.

Surely some revelation is at hand;

Surely the Second Coming is at hand.   

The Second Coming! Hardly are those words out   

When a vast image out of Spiritus Mundi

Troubles my sight: somewhere in sands of the desert   

A shape with lion body and the head of a man,   

A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun,   

Is moving its slow thighs, while all about it   

Reel shadows of the indignant desert birds.   

The darkness drops again; but now I know   

That twenty centuries of stony sleep

Were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle,   

And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,   

Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?

The emptiness of American dream in The Great Gatsby

 

Representing American dream as a 'sordid boon'

The Great Gatsby is Fitzgerald’s exceptional piece of writing, which highlights the time period and the circumstances of America after the First World War. Fitzgerald depicted the lifestyle of the 1920s in the novel. The Great Gatsby sets in the United States and the protagonist Gatsby chases the “American Dream”. Fitzgerald uses Gatsby as a vehicle to explore the idea of the American Dream, which was a key element in shaping a modern American society and its citizens. The “dream” remains an illusion for the middle class while the people with old money, like Tom Buchanan, remain superficial and miserable. American Dream means that if you work hard, you can achieve more prosperity and it will take you to your goals. 

 

The Americans of that time period were so passionate about attaining their desires that they became wildly ardent about achieving a particular class or a lavish lifestyle. This age became complete with all those people, who had so many things to show off. It was all about money, jazz and alcohol. It was a moment in time of joyful feelings and of course the never ending prosperity that we can call the ‘American Dream’.

Although many people believed that hard work and determination are the ways through which a person can be as wealthy as he wanted. Showing off was one of the main parts of their lives. The wealthy people use to attend and throw parties almost every day.

 

The American Dream had become important for people as an effect of the First World War. The First World War destroyed many things. It affected the economy, the political situation, the psychology of people and also the personal life of each and every family. It was a big loss; loss of the mental condition of every individual. When the war ended, it left an entire generation in a state of misery and suffering. They were not psychologically and mentally fit anymore, because through the war people had to face so many difficulties, harshness, brutality in their lives that they forgot the real meaning of happiness. We can understand that after the World War, all these people or the whole group of this generation went through a lifetime of survival and adjustment. They did not find their life as beautiful as before. Every time that they tried to adjust to the situation, they were faced with a change and a loss of values.

 

The changes greatly affected the economy. After the war, it happens remarkably that some poor people became rich like Gatsby and the rich became poor. The rich people lose their income generating ventures, the industries close down, and everything is destroyed completely. The rich people may sometimes turn paupers overnight and find themselves on the street. This is the right time for corrupt people to take advantage of the opportunities. After the world war, the situation took a turn that many people who were under the upper class and never imagined to socialize with high class people, at that time by choosing a wrong path they have become stronger and reached to a better position. They become more powerful and rich. So we can see how the actual social structure changed and horribly affected people’s psyche.

 

The Great Gatsby is a quintessential modern novel. The treatment of American Dream is the most important aspect of the novel, which is people’s desire to live lavish lifestyle. Fitzgerald has given us a glimpses of high class people of the roaring 20s, where the values are lost and it has transformed in to achieving American Dream; and also materialistic power of high society, who believes in gaining wealth and who have the lack of moral senses. Fitzgerald presents the actual aspects of American Dream along with its modern face to show that what people actually think of this dream and which is now lost forever to the American people. The American Dream that Gatsby chases is represented by a woman (symbolic) he loves the most, but cannot have as the situation has already changed. Daisy is modernistic, because she is not like the other woman of that period. Women were before more like family oriented, they had particular manners that they used to follow very strictly; whereas Daisy is completely the opposite. Moreover, she loses her morality even when she was married. So we can see how she is modernistic, because she thinks that why can only men have multiple relationships.

 Women can have also multiple relationships and that is why she continues her relationship with Gatsby though she was married. Gatsby did know very well that Daisy is married with Tom Buchanan, who is a very rich guy. So it was not possible for him to get Daisy in his life and that is why he chases the American Dream; through following his dream, he becomes a very rich and wealthy man, but not through the best methods. Thus, Gatsby has now everything. He has beautiful house, he has lots of money, he throws party every day, and he has a lavish lifestyle, expensive cloths and all. But, ultimately his life ends tragically or he could not find emotional gratification.