The reading assignment for this week is to finish reading Quicksand. How is that going? it would be great if everyone were finished with the novel when we meet on Thursday.
You are also working on Project #1, which is due–both parts–on Thursday by the start of class. If you have any questions or concerns about Project #1, please let me know by posting a comment in response to this post or to the post in which I wrote a sample manifesto. And be sure to read that sample! Remember that your manifesto should be written from the voice of either the narrator of the story or one of the characters–except perhaps a bolder version, one who is ready to make a passionate statement about the conditions in which women like those in our texts live.
As you’re reading Larsen’s Quicksand, think about what you want to discuss in class, especially which location of the remaining locations you want to focus on. Write a blog post about that location as the setting for Helga’s development as a character.
OR, think about which man in Helga’s life you’d like to discuss. Write a blog post about the relationship Helga has with that man, why it stands out to you, and how it meets or doesn’t meet your expectations.
OR, think about what Helga terms “the race question,” and how she attempts to rid it from or embrace it in her life. How were her different experiences in each setting fuel for the fire she feels about race?
OR, pose a different question about Quicksand and answer it.
And in case you thought that things would calm down after Project #1, our midterm exam is scheduled for March 27th! Coming soon on our course site: information about the format and scope of the exam, and sample questions.
