CUNY Academic Commons

Mary Shelley is very best known for her science fiction novel of Frankenstein which was written in the early 1800s. However, her personal life and the issues she faced in society at the time are not widespread […]

            William Shakespeare was an English poet, playwright and actor of the Renaissance era.

Shakespeare was the third child of John Shakespeare, a leather merchant, and Mary Arden, a local landed hei […]

The author I chose to research for our final presentation is Leslie Marmon Silko.  I read two articles that touched upon her work and life: one being an article written by K. Wesley Berry from the […]

Describe the most memorable part of “Landscape, History and the Pueblo Imagination.” How does the part of the essay that you chose contribute to a larger ecological message?

The short story “A White Heron” offers its own kind of critique of violence and the narrative of the masculine “hero.” How?

If you like, consider:

How does the story prioritize kinship with animals over […]

Write a one paragraph summary of either the essay by Latham or Le Guin. How might you apply the insights from the essay to an analysis of the colonial mission to Athshe?

If you are reading Latham’s essay, you […]

Write a one paragraph summary of either the essay by Barbour or Le Guin. At the conclusion of the paragraph, reflect on how a key concept from the essay might be applied to an analysis of the Athshean culture. […]

In the end the colonial mission to Athshe proves to be a failure and the Athshean way of life is transformed. Why do you think Le Guin chose to tell a story of failure rather than of success?

You might […]

What is the significance of dreaming to Athshean culture and/or to the events of the book more broadly?

You might consider:

–Lyubov’s view of the role of dreaming in Athshean culture and the difference […]

What are the differences between Captain Davidson’s perception of the natural environment and the Ashthean point of view represented at the opening of chapter 2? Draw on quotations to support your point. 

What part of the scholarly essay would you focus on if you were giving a lecture on the material to the class?

Create a heading describing your focus, a few bullet points beneath it (they can include […]

Answer any or all of the following questions:

Why does Victor destroy the female creature? Is his decision rational, impulsive, or both?

Did having Victor’s point of view on this matter force you reconsider […]

How does creature’s story call into question Victor’s belief that the creature is innately evil? You might consider:

The way that the creature is made into a monster by the reception that he receives from […]

Provide a close analysis of a quotation from either the scene of the creature’s birth (vol. I, chapter IV) or the dialogue between Victor and the creature in the Alps (vol. II, chapter II).

Your close […]