Moby Dick

Hello everyone!

Last week we continued watching Moby Dick, one of my favourite movies. This week we are going to see its final part, but before that I would like to ask you some questions about Captain Ahab:

What did Moby Dick do to Captain Ahab? Describe how he reacted to the injury. Do you think obsessions like this can be dangerous?

Please answer the questions in individual posts.

Best wishes,

Oxana

The Scarlet Letter

Dear all,

This week we are going to talk about symbolism. Writers and movie directors sometimes use commonly recognized symbols and sometimes invent their own. Symbolism is the use words or images to represent something else. For example, the color white could be used to represent peace or purity. In some cultures it represents mourning (Port. luto). Why is it important to understand symbols in a poem, a novel or a movie? Sometimes we can fully understand the meaning of a masterpiece only if we know the importance of the ideas or images used.

I hope you enjoyed The Scarlet Letter movie. Can you identify any symbols used in the movie? What do you think they could represent?

Best wishes,

Oxana

Rip Van Winkle

Dear all,

Next week we will be analyzing Rip Van Winkle, an enigmatic short story by Washington Irving. If you have not been able to find it, please go to http://www.ibiblio.org/ebooks/Irving/Winkle/Irving_Winkle.pdf . I hope you will enjoy the reading!

Best-

Oxana

Salem Witch Trials

Dear all,

Warm greetings from Minas Gerais! Hope all is well with you. Last week we were talking about Puritanism, Salem witch trials and their impact on American culture and literature. For more details, please scan the Wikipedia page on Cultural depictions of the Salem witch trials (in literature, film, television, comic books and music): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_depictions_of_the_Salem_witch_trials

Have you seen any of these movies, read or heard about any of the books or heard any songs mentioned in the article? In your opinion, why have Salem witch trials caught the popular imagination?

Please post your answers on the blog (under Post a comment) until Thursday, March 3. You can also make comments on other students´ responses (agree or disagree with them). If you have any difficulty with the language, please contact Andrea, our monitor. She can help you with grammar, vocabular or clarify any other doubts that you might have. I am looking forward to talking to you on the blog!

Best wishes,

Oxana

Welcome to American Literature I!

Hello everyone!

I would like to welcome you to our American Literature blog. This is an exciting opportunity for us to discuss texts, books and films online. I am looking forward to working with you all in virtual environment and in our face-to-face classes and hope it will be a fruitful semester for all of us.

Best wishes,

Oxana