English 114
American Writers, American Experiences
Dr. Joseph Cosco
Blackboard Reading Journal
How Much/When to Write:
You are responsible for producing 7 journal entries of approximately one to one and a half double-spaced
pages each. Stress quality not quantity.
Deadlines are below.
What to Write:
Each response should deal with one of the assigned texts. Responses must be posted on Blackboard before
the chosen text is discussed in class. This assignment is designed to get you thinking critically about a text
before we deal with the text in class.
Each response should follow this structure:
 A focused question about the text, one that begins to open up the work. The question can concern
context, literary elements, or theme(s). (See examples below) Make sure your question is in the
form of a question. Mix up the nature of your questions.
 A thoughtful and spirited attempt to address your question. Be sure to include details from the
text(s) that support your “answer” to or speculation on the question. Don’t be afraid to take risks
here. These responses aren’t meant to be formal essays, but instead exploratory in nature.
Contextual Questions: These questions seek to place the work into the context of the author’s background
and/or the historical, political, social and cultural environment in which it was written.
Examples: How does Thomas Jefferson’s background as a slave-owning planter square with the radicalism
of the “Declaration of Independence”? Where did Stephen Crane get the images of “the West” that he
portrays in “The Blue Hotel”? Why was Charles Perkins Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper” originally seen
as little more than a gothic tale when it appeared in the early1890s?
Questions about Literary Elements: These questions deal with literary elements such as characterization,
tone, imagery, and symbolism.
Examples: How do the protagonists in Ernest Hemingway’s “In Another Country” and “Soldier’s Home”
characterize different or similar anti-war sentiments? What are examples of foreshadowing in Shirley
Jackson’s “The Lottery” and does the technique work? What are some of the things symbolized by the car
in Louise Erdrich’s “The Red Convertible”?
Thematic Questions: These questions go directly to the work’s theme or themes.
Examples: How does the theme of “seeing” fit into the overall theme of Thoreau’s Walden? Is Craig
Strete’s “Lives Far Child” just a simple ghost story or does it convey other themes? How does the last
stanza of Louis Simpson’s “To the Western World” forcefully express a main theme of the poem?
Format:
Each journal entry should have a header identifying the title and author of the text you are treating.
Entries should be double-spaced and filed as an attachment on the appropriate discussion board/forum.
Grading:
Each response is worth a maximum 3 points, according to the following scale:
1 Point – Response submitted on time, but shows cursory thought and minimum effort.
2 Points – Good response that shows solid effort and critical thought.
3 Points -- Excellent response that really digs into the text.
No late responses accepted. Missing responses result in a 1-point penalty.
Total Maximum Points: 21
0-3 points: F
4 points: D5 points: D
6 points: D+
7 points: C8-10 points: C
11 points: C+
12 points: B13-15 points: B
16 points: B+
17 points: A18-20 points: A
21 points: A+
Blackboard Responses Due Dates-Fall 2014
Response 1 – Sept. 4
Response 2 – Sept. 18
Response 3 – Oct. 2
Response 4 – Oct. 16
Response 5 – Oct. 30
Response 6 – Nov. 13
Response 7 – Nov. 25