I would highly recommend The Time Machine by H.G Wells because the idea of the future is much different than anything I have ever read or heard of. When you think about the future you think about how much the world is evolving and the new technology and discoveries. Wells however, sees it differently. He explains that the world will eventually die and intelligence will come to a minimum. I found this book to be very interesting and lead me to think that the future may not always be what you expect it to be. I especially recommend this book to anyone who is close minded about the negativity the future holds because it would open their eyes to what the world may become, whether it is good or bad.

Dear Students,

First of all, I wanted to thank you for all of the work that you put into your essays.  They were, for the most part, incredibly creative and insightful.  I learned a lot from them, and for that I am most grateful to you.  I hope that as a class we may have a chance to discuss these essays since they are, as far as I am concerned, the best way to review what we have done and questions that have been raised and considered over the course of this semester.

We will spend the next two classes preparing for the final exam, which you will take in class next Monday, May 21.  For this exam, you will write an in-class essay on one of three topics.  To prepare for this exam, it would be a good idea to look over your class notes and assignments, as well as the stories that we’ve read and discussed this semester.

The exam will be graded on the following:

• The thoughtfulness and sophistication of your analysis based on the guidelines of the exam question
• The accuracy of your use and application of terminology and concepts used in discussing the story/stories
• The use and discussion of textual evidence to support the points you make

Dear Students,

For those of you interested in continuing your reading of postmodern fiction, I thought I’d post a couple of suggestions for your summer reading.  Here are a few:
“Literary Devices” by Richard Powers

Calvino, Italo.  If On a Winter’s Night a Traveler

Barthelme, Donald. 60 Stories

Daitch, Susan.  L.C. (this novel may be of particular interest to those who are also interested in painting since the book is about a diary kept by an alleged mistress of Eugene Delacroix)

Dear Professor Rodgers:

Describe your experience writing this essay.

Explain what you learned, or explain what you re-learned, or what you wish you had learned.

Explain any questions or concerns that you have about the essay.

Calvino describes different levels of reality, he describes there are 4 levels of reality in works of literature. In his work he explains, although all 4 levels seems to be spoken about and discussed in literature, it seems that the higher the level of reality in works of literature that is talked about, the more it seems to be unreal.

– When it comes to fiction literature, since having more levels of reality is said to be unreal, do nonfiction literature has to have more than 1 level of reality in order to make it a work of fiction?

What is your essay about?  What do you hope to argue or prove in your essay?  How do you plan to go about doing this?  What evidence will you use?

Calvino’s essay is about the existence of levels of reality in literature. According to him, different levels of reality may be matched by level s of credibility or different suspension of disbelief.Calvino shows how when writing about fiction, nothing should be taken for granted. He uses specific examples to support what he is writing about by being cautious and clear.

-How does Calvino differentiate the various level of reality in literature?

– He mentioned that authors tend to use the person in their writhing while inventing that character, how  has he proved that?

Fabrice Douillard

Writing About Literature

Topic Specific Questions

Does my story have to be finished? (yes)

Do I have to analyze my own story?  Yes!  After writing your story, I would like you to write a two page analysis of your story.  Please discuss your story as though you are a literary critic.  Describe the elements of fiction.  Are they used conventionally?  If not, why not?  Do you notice any connections between various elements of fiction and how they are used in this story and how they are used in other stories that we’ve read?  Which elements of fiction seem to be most significant to this story and an interpretation of this story?  Are there any connections you can make to/insights you can provide on Calvino’s discussion of levels of reality in fiction that you should mention in your discussion of your story?

For those working on Professor Rosen’s “Retelling the Story” assignment, here are a few guidelines for your critical analysis of your retelling:  Please discuss how writing the story from the perspective you’ve chosen changes the story.  What new insights into the story does a reader attain from re-telling it from this new perspective?  If possible, and if appropriate, please compare one specific passage from the original story and one from your re-telling of the story.  Compare and contrast these two passages.

Description, Analysis, Interpretation

Writing Process

What is an Exploratory Draft?

An exploratory draft is basically a structured free writing exercise.  Before you start this, you will want to consult your brainstorming exercise, some of your Writing Journals, assignments  for our class, and/or other materials  that we have read.  Having thought about the literary response essay as genre and what you may want to write about, please spend forty five minutes to an hour writing.  This is structured free writing.  Please do not be concerned about grammar or punctuation or structure.  Just write and keep writing and see where the writing takes you!

Madame Bovary (Excerpt from Lydia Davis translation)

Calvino’s “Levels of Reality in Literature” talks about the different levels of reality found within a story. It also points out that the “I” can represent a part of the author/writer that creates the story. As readers, we look at fact and fiction as two different things but Calvino points out that we shoul look at them as one factor.

1) Why is Madame Bovary used as a reference within the essay?

2) Does the use of “I” always represent a part of the Author/writer that creates the story?