Homework for Class #20 (Tuesday, 4月6日）

First and most importantly, here is the remainder of Peggy's video.

I also want to wish you many happy holidays... Spring break holiday, 清明節, Christian Easter holiday,
פסח (Jewish Passover holiday), and of course "April Fool's Day"!

We will begin with the Emily Dickinson poems next week and make some comparison to the more modern writers. We will also have a presentation about Dickinson by Winnie & Carol.

Read: 1682-95頁 (Gilman bio. & "Yellow Wallpaper")... I think you will really like this
Read: 1939-51頁 (Stein bio. & excerpt from Tender Buttons)... I hesitate to use the word "read" for this book... you should certainly pass your eyes over the words or better yet sound them out loud. Pick a couple of the little sections and read with closer attention. But don't expect to "understand" what you read in the conventional way.
Read: 1990-93頁, 1997-99頁 (Stevens bio. & "The Snow Man," "A High-Toned Christian Woman," "The Emperor of Ice-Cream," "Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird")
Read: 2236-39頁 (Crane bio. & "Chaplinesque," "At Melville's Tomb")

150 (Clara). The 'thesis' of "The Yellow Wallpaper," and its refutation of the medical and ideological assumptions of the so-called 'rest cure' treatment, is not well hidden (see 1684頁: "I believe that congenial work with excitement and change, would do me good"). Maybe that's why this story is commonly assigned to high school students in the U.S. Nor is Gilman particularly subtle about describing her inventive writing as an alternate form of 'work' that creates 'excitement and change' in her life and gives her a sense of autonomy (see 1694頁: "No person touches this paper but me"). That said, I think this story is quite remarkable in its technical accomplishment. So instead of explaining that the wallpaper is equivalent to writing paper, and serves as a projecting screen for the narrator's psyche, and so forth, point our attention to a few technical details that show how Gilman unfolds the narrator's psychological development. On 1688頁, Gilman writes: "I know a little of the principle of design, and I know this thing was not arranged on any laws... that I ever heard of." So what I am saying is, explain some of the laws of design that arrange "The Yellow Wallpaper."
151 (Crystal). Read Norton's excerpt from Roosevelt's book The Strenuous Life ( 1860-63頁) and give us a brief summary. You might also remind us about the related ideas we read last semester in Turner's "The Significance of the Frontier" (1652-57頁). Finally, relate the fears of Turner and Roosevelt that American men might develop 'nervous disorders' in modern city life to the gender-based diagnosis and treatment of 'nervous disorders' depicted in Gilman's story.
152 (Emma). Describe your experience of reading Tender Buttons. Compare it to some other odd experience (related to literature/art or otherwise... just don't compare it to your experience of viewing cubist paintings, ha ha.)
153 (Caleigh). The literary experiments in Tender Buttons have many purposes and outcomes; clearly it is not 'only' a feminist project. However given that this has been our recent subject, explain how Tender Buttons could yield a feminist message. Or point to a few sentences/sections in particular that seem to do so.
154 (Sharon). Since you did this so well with Lee, make some observations about Stevens' poetic technique. How is it similar or different to other poems we've read in this class, or that you've read elsewhere?
155 (Lucille). During the 1800s, poetry became an increasingly 'feminized' activity, so far as the broader U.S. culture was concerned. How might the writing style of Stevens' poetry be an attempt to unfeminize it? (You might also answer the same question for Ezra Pound). And give us an analysis of the way male and female roles are represented in "Christian Woman," "Ice Cream," and "Blackbird."
156 (Iris). Based on your viewing of Modern Times, do you think "Chaplinesque" is a good poetic translation of Chaplin's style of acting? Why or why not? As for Crane, what qualities of Chaplin does he find compelling or identifiable?
157 (Jenny). Read the Norton biography of Herman Melville (1089-92頁) and explain why Crane would HM's his name in a poem about shipwrecks, embassies, undelivered messages, and heterodox views of religion. Furthermore, why would Crane, whose homosexuality was something of a controversy, affiliate himself with Melville? (A more obvious affiliation with the homosexual poet Walt Whitman occurs elsewhere in Crane's poetry.)

Homework for Class #19 (Tuesday 3/30)

I enjoyed our discussion of Woman Warrior today. I'm happy that we opened many possible avenues for further analysis; as I said you can consider any of those questions as a potential essay topic.

Reminder: Please write your group posts from today's questions below.

Next Week's Presentations: Jane & Rea, Peggy

Next Week's Reading:
- Adams, “Remember the Ladies” letter + Norton biography on 頁300-01
- Fern, “Male Criticism” + Fresh Leaves Review + biography (頁799-803)
- Fuller, “The Great Lawsuit” + biography (頁736-47, but skip the long paragraph about Zinzendorf at the bottom of 頁743 and the section on Goethe that runs from the middle of 頁746 to the top of 頁747)
- Stowe, Uncle Tom’s Cabin (章26: “Death”) + Norton biography (頁764-67)
- Dickinson #207, #260, #348, #620, #764, #788 + biography (starts on 頁1197)

The Adams reading is here (or here for view of the original manuscript) and the Stowe reading is here. But I asked the TA to make some photocopies of these, so they might be available by tomorrow.

Bonus: This article about a "mixed ethnicity" contestant on a Chinese TV singing competition is interesting in light of our discussions about identity in Woman Warrior.

146. (Joy) Should the unpublished personal letters of someone (e.g. Adams) who can't spell properly be considered "literature"? Why or why not? The other thing you should do is make a short outline of the letter to indicate the sequence of topics Adams discusses.
147. (Ken) Why does Fern focus both the "Male Criticism" essay and the false review of Fern Leaves on ad hominem attacks? (First on the New York Times reviewer, and then on herself.) Also, what do you suppose she means by a "woman's book" or "lady book," considering that she has also indicated that neither the subject matter of a book or even the name of the author are reliable indicators of gender?
148. (Lucille) Why does Fuller insist on sexual celibacy for the 'new woman'? How does she use Emersonian vocabulary to argue this point? How does she use 'cultural tourism'?
149. (Tady) Compare the feminine power of Stowe's Little Eva to the types of feminine power discussed in Fuller's "Radical Dualism."
Q. (Teresa) Ask a question or make a comment about Dickinson poem #207, "I taste a liquor never brewed."
Q. (Tracy) Ask a question or make a comment about Dickinson poem #260, "I'm nobody! Who are you?"
Q. (Vincent) Ask a question or make a comment about Dickinson poem #348, "I would not paint - a picture."
Q. (Viola) Ask a question or make a comment about Dickinson poem #620, "Much Madness is divinest Sense."
Q. (Winnie) Ask a question or make a comment about Dickinson poem #764, "My Life had stood - a Loaded Gun."
Q. (Zoe) Ask a question or make a comment about Dickinson poem #788, "Publication - is the auction."

Homework for Class #18 (Tuesday 3/23)

Reminder: Post answers to group questions here (by Friday)
Reminder: Finish Woman Warrior
Reminder: The following students need to post new questions to the blog (by Monday night): Alyssa, Emma, Esther, Iris, Jane, Jenny, Ken, Letitia, Lucille, Meg, Natalie, Peggy, Qian-Yu, Rea, Sherry

Presentation: Sharon (Lee's "Persimmons" and brief analysis)

As for my homework, I was finally able to offer some additional replies of my own to the Chaplin/Jolson thread and the Harte/Pound/Far/Song/Lee thread. I apologize for the delay... you should read them when you get a chance. I was inspired by some of your ideas in class discussion today; I am surprised how much the thematic material of the past few weeks has begun to cohere together. Your essays may be difficult to write, and your presentations may require warrior courage, but you definitely must admit that there are already many suitable topics floating around!

Bonus: A useful timeline of Chinese-American history.
Bonus: One of you pointed me to this musical theater production about the early Chinese-American immigrant experience. I can't remember who... I'm sorry... please claim credit so we know who to thank!
Bonus: Ken sent this great video urging Taiwanese-Americans to participate in the 2010 U.S. Census. Three thoughts. First, this is very relevant to the discussion we've been having in class about the complex ways in which social identities are generated. Second, I actually worked for the U.S. Census Bureau the last time, in 2000... I have some funny stories, but not quite this funny. Third, wow, that video reminded me of some things I love about the U.S.A. As much as I talk about racism past and present, on a relative basis there is no country more heterogeneous and very few that are so open and accepting.
Bonus: Here and here are the two most famous American movies about "ghosts." I also found the comparisons in this Wikipedia article quite helpful. Perhaps we can use Freud's theory as a general rule: a ghost is something "repressed" (psychologically, ideologically, etc.) from our ordinary experience that "returns" as a kind of obsession. Or maybe this doesn't properly describe 鬼 ?
Bonus: Some further analysis of the Texas schoolbook revisions.

Homework for Class #17 (Tuesday 3/16)

Thanks for a good class today. I think we spent most of our time laughing, but what's better than that?

I will make some further responses to your blog posts about the movies and today's readings.

There will be no "老師" homework questions for Woman Warrior. Half of you will write "學生" questions for Tuesday's class on pages 1-108, and the other half will write questions for the 3/23 class on the remaining pages. (See today's e-mail.) We will then divide into groups and answer the best questions in class.

One further note... Sharon approached me after class with some additional thoughts about "Persimmons" and I told her she should make this the basis of her presentation (she will present on 3/23). So this shows you that your presentation can be about a new reading assignment, but also it could be a "return" to a recent assignment that you had something further to say about. The possibilities are pretty open, so let me know early if you have any ideas you want to explore.

Homework for Class #16 (Tuesday 3/9)

The long reach of empire allows me to continue assigning homework from another continent!

- Harte, “Plain Language from Truthful James (The Heathen Chinee)” (read here) + Norton 頁1475-76
- Pound, “The River Merchant’s Wife” (頁2018-19, 2022)
- Far, “In the Land of the Free (頁1720-27)
- Song, “Lost Sister,” “Heaven” (頁2840-45)
- Lee, “Persimmons” (頁2846-47)

136 (Ken). According to the Norton editor, Harte's writing "sentimentalize[s] and stereotype[s] both settings and characters." Do you think this is true for "Plain Language from Truthful James"? If so, who or what is being sentimentalized or stereotyped?
137 (Letitia). Compare the view of Chinese-Americans in Harte's poem to the view of this minority in the illustrations that were published with the poem (view on the same website).
138(Lucille). Compare Pound's translation of "The River Merchant's Wife" to the original by 李白. You can compare them here. You don't have to compare each line/verse, but choose a few in particular and note the differences between the translation and the original, and why you think they occur.
139(Meg). Given what you know about Pound's ambitions as a poet at the start of the 20th century, why do you suppose that he wanted to translate Chinese poetry?
140(Natalie). The other Sui Sin Far story I read, when I got the wrong edition of the Norton last week, had an interesting symbolism in the choice of names. Analyze Lae Choo, Hom Hing, and the other names in "In the Land of the Free," including "Sui Sin Far." Do they have any significance?
141(Peggy). Read the Wikipedia entries for "Chinese Exclusion Act" and "United States vs. Wong Kim Ark." Use them to give a brief summary of the political/legal context of "In the Land of the Free," and give examples from the story that show Far's consideration of this context.
142(Qian Yu). Analyze the symbolism of 玉 in "Lost Sister." If indeed you read the "Mrs. Spring Fragrance" story, compare the 玉 in that story. If not, please ignore.
143(Rea). According to Norton, Song's poems show "a privacy that the poet discloses but cannot fully enter." Explain what this means and give an example. Norton also says that her poems are "too composed, too removed from the sharp impact of experience." Do you agree or disagree? Explain.
144(Sharon). We'll be analyzing Whitman and some of the older poets who helped develop the following technique, but for now... notice the arrangement of the lines/verses in "Persimmons." The lines do not stop on complete thoughts, and there is often no punctuation. And they are different lengths. The sentences often spill over onto the next line, which is called an enjambment. What kind of effect does this poetic arrangement/punctuation give? Choose a couple of particular examples in the poem and discuss them.
145 (Sherry). Do you think that Asian-American poets all feel a particular responsibility to reconcile their modern lives in the U.S. to their family history in Asia? (Like Far, Song, and Lee.) Or do you think that there is a selection bias, insofar as publishers like Norton tend to choose these authors to publish rather than other Asian-American authors who might write about exclusively modern themes. Are Asian-American writers "typecast" in other words? Or am I too cynical?

Sydney (post a question about Bierce), Tady (post a question about Pound), Ted (post a question about Far), Teresa (post a question about Song), Ting-Ju (post a question about Lee)

See you soon!