American Literature
Ms. Fuller
Summer Reading
Fall Trimester 2012
A Walk in the Woods
Respond to the following in a well-developed essay of 1-3 pages.
“America, alas, beauty has become something you strive to, and nature an either/or
proposition -- either you ruthlessly subjugate it, as at Tocks Dam and a million other
places, or you deify it, treat it as something holy and remote, a thing apart, as along the
Appalachian Trail. Seldom would it occur to anyone on either side that people and
nature could coexist to their mutual benefit…” A Walk in the Woods
Would you agree this is how Americans treat or think about nature? Please use
examples.
Does the author’s experience with the trail reflect someone steeped in a culture that
both subjugates and glorifies nature? Please use examples.
Lastly, how might your own hypothetical journey on the AT reflect the dichotomy
Bryson observes in America’s treatment of nature?
Interpreter of Maladies
Respond to one of the following in a well-developed essay of 1-3 pages.
A. Jhumpa Lahiri has said; ‘The characters I’m drawn to all face some barrier of
communication.’ How are communication barriers explored in this collection of short
stories? Lahiri’s stories emphasize our over-arching theme this year, “the power of
language.” Please choose three stories in which language either adds to these barriers
or helps remove them. Explain and use examples.
B. To what extent do the stories support the view that someone’s identity is intrinsically
linked to their place of origin? Is your identity linked to your own culture? Please
explain.