My Antonia

Schedule of Reading and Activities

Day 0	Finish short stories	Read chapters 1-6 of Book I in My Antonia
Day 1	Introductions of My Antonia Biographic info on Cather and the narrator Historic Perspectives Characters/Biographical connections “Optima dies…prima fugit”	Read chapters 7-14 of Book I in My Antonia Reading quizzes may happen on any day.
Day 2	Character descriptions Discuss: themes: gender roles, coming of age, portrayal of immigrants, time/seasons, religion	Reading quizzes may happen on any day.
Winter Break
Day 3	Landscape poetry Discuss: Cather’s landscapes	Read chapters 15-19 of Book I in My Antonia Reading quizzes may happen on any day.
Day 4	Character Map Discuss: themes of weather, land, nature, contrast of immigrants and settlers…	Read chapters 1-7 of Book II in My Antonia Reading quizzes may happen on any day.
Day 5	Plow activity Discuss: themes of town vs. country, role of town, music, knowledge	Read chapters 8-15 of Book II in My Antonia Reading quizzes may happen on any day.
Day 6	Grant Wood’s American Gothic Discussion: knowledge, Virgil, growing up…	Books III in My Antonia Reading quizzes may happen on any day.
Day 7	Wrap up the novel Discussion: End of the novel, gender related questions, women’s roles, immigrant hope of future, love… What’s the moral of the story???	Book IV and V in My Antonia Reading quizzes may happen on any day.
Day 8	Oral Presentations begin/Final papers due.

Oral Presentations and Fianl Papers due Thursday 1/21 or Friday 1/22

*** PLEASE NOTE: This schedule is subject to revision! ***

Reading quizzes may happen on any of the days above.

Thursday and Friday, Sheldon and South

1/3, 1/3, 1/3

Read either "In the Land of the Free'" "The Men in the Storm," or "The Yellow Wallpaper." Take at least 1/2 page of notes and be prepared to talk about the story with the entire class.

Jack London

Read "South of the Slot" and write a paragraph which compares the way social class is treated in "The Lost Beautifulness" and "South of the Slot."

Anzia Yezierska

“The Lost Beautifulness”

Choose five (5, fünf, cinq, cinque) of the following and answer in complete sentences.

1. Describe he relationship between Hannah and her husband. How does this relationship evolve throughout the story?
2. From the reading, draw or describe Hannah. Or, using quotes from the story, describe Hannah’s personality.
3. What role do Hannah’s neighbors play in the story?
4. Describe the relationship between Hannah and Mrs. Preston. What do each of them get from the relationship?
5. There are several ironies at work in this story. Discuss the effects of one of them.
6. What is this story saying about the immigrant’s experience in America?
7. To what extent is “The Lost Beautifulness” a feminist story?