In an essay entitled “Modernity and Revolution,” Marxist ...



AML 3041-6815: Essay #1

Due Tuesday, October 21

Choose of the following prompts for your first essay. Essays should be double-spaced, a minimum of 5 pages, and must reference at least two outside scholarly sources. Scholarly sources include peer-reviewed articles from academic journals and books. Both sources must be cited and used in order to provide textual support for your arguments.

All papers must be correctly formatted using MLA documentation style. This means that you need to have both in-text citations as well as a works cited page which lists all primary and secondary sources.

****Remember: This course has a zero tolerance policy for plagiarism. All materials and sources must be correctly cited using proper documentation techniques. The result of any plagiarism (intentional or otherwise) will result in, at minimum, failure of this assignment and may result in failure of the entire course.

Texts:

Edith Wharton’s The House of Mirth

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby

Richard Wright’s Native Son

Shirley Jackson’s We Have Always Lived in the Castle

1. In his essay “Modernity and Revolution,” Marxist critic Perry Anderson argues that the cultural force commonly known as “modernism” relies on the inclusion of three basic coordinate points: (1) academicism, (2) technology, and (3) “the imaginative proximity to social revolution”. Using these points as the basis for your argument, discuss the presence of modernism in ONE of the novels we’ve read this semester—making an argument for how the text fits into the cultural phenomenon discussed by Anderson. Please note, if you choose this option, you must read Anderson’s essay which can be found online by going to and clicking on the link for “Anderson” at the top of the page. (“Modernity and Revolution” can be considered one of your outside scholarly sources. Citation information: Anderson, Perry. "Modernity and Revolution." New Left Review 144 (March-April 1984): 96-113.)

2. Using TWO of the novels we’ve read this semester, create an argument that addresses the role of gender and sexuality in American culture. Remember that you’ll need to go beyond merely summarizing the role of gender/sexuality or comparing and contrasting characters in order to create an argument about the function and role of gender and sexuality in these novels.

3. Cultural identities are important tools in understanding and creating social, political, and ideological norms. American culture relies on the notion of a distinctly American identity—one or more characteristics that define a person as “American.” Using TWO of the novels, create an argument about American cultural identity in the texts.

4. Using TWO of the novels, create your own argument. Please note, if you choose this option, you need to submit your thesis to me (either in class or at lacy.hodges@ufl.edu) by Thursday, October 9 for review and approval.

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