After reading from volume 1 of The Bedford Anthology -- American Contexts (1354-56); Brown (1356-58); Davis (1359-62); Lincoln (1374-75); Garnet (1375-78); Chesnut (1379-81); Bryant (1382-83); Piatt (1383-85) -- answer ONE of the following questions with a quote (or two) to support your point. This should be a reflective analysis, not a summary that tells us what you liked or did not like. Check for spelling errors. Failure to follow these directions will reduce your grade.
Option 1: Choose ONLY two texts that seem to be in conversation with each other (they could agree or disagree). Analyze and discuss their competing visions of the American Dream. Whose is the most persuasive? How likely would 19th-century readers be persuaded by such writers/speakers? How would geography determine that audience's receptiveness to the writers'/speakers' claims?
Option 2: Choose two texts to compare and contrast for strange, intriguing, or preposterous ideas. Imagine you are a 19th-century reader (Southerner or Northerner, free or enslaved) and respond accordingly. Adopt a persona that allows you to engage with the two texts.
Post your response BEFORE class on October 6, 2011. If you decide to respond to a classmate, that response must be posted on your own blog as "Journal #8 Response to _____."
