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Erica Rapp
English 167 Final Portfolio
North Dakota State University
Fall 2010
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Erica Rapp
Eunice Johnston
English 167
September 12th, 2010
Assignment #1: Analyzing a Short Story
Heartache from a Hunter
There are many stories and novels related to failed love, heartaches, and betrayal. There
is usually a female character as a narrator, and she is describing a heart throbbing conflict
between her and her lover. They all end the same way, and it is usually never positive. The short
story entitled How to Talk to a Hunter by Pam Houston could be told as one of those typical
never-ending love stories, but in a completely unique and different way. The story is told from an
emotional lens, and at the same time it’s told from a completely simple perspective. There
clearly is a main theme with the essay, and that is the gender roles and the things that typical men
tend to do in relationships.
Pam Houston was born January 9, 1962, in Trenton, NJ. She is currently a writer and
hunting and rafting guide in Western America and Alaska. Her life experiences greatly influence
her writing styles and topics, making her a highly credible writer (Contemporary Authors Online
1). This story has no known narrator, but is told in a perspective from the viewpoint of the
distraught female in the story. In this perspective it makes it easy to be very powerful and
dramatic in describing the ways that the hunter is cheating on her including how it starts, how it
ends, the little signs of cheating, the thoughts running through her minds, the things the hunter
tells her, and so on. There is a main theme of extreme gender roles played out in this short story.
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The hunter is the dominant character, and the female is the hopeless romantic that has no control
over the hunter.
One of the first main gender role topics that can be noticed in this story is the face that
men, generally speaking, are afraid of commitment. The man in the story is described as the
significant other that everyone would want. The ways in which he is described as a hunter make
him seems handsome, strong, romantic, and the list goes on. At the same time, an image of him
being a modern-day “player” is also described in the story. In this story, the fact that this man is
described as “the hunter”, it could mean that he’s strong and very manly, like a hunter should be,
even though he may not literally be a hunter. There is a quotation describing the image of when
the woman finds out about the hunter cheating. ”You’ll sit very still while a woman who calls
herself Janie Coyote leaves a message on his machine: She’s leaving work, she’ll say, and the
last thing she wanted to hear was the sound of his beautiful voice” (Houston 1) The man. is
obviously afraid of commitment, and because of his dominant gender role in the relationship, he
thinks he has the right to cheat on the woman. The word “monogamy” is also brought up in a
conversation between the couple, and the hunter seems to get defensive. This is a potential red
flag to the female (Houston 2).
There are more gender role themes in this story, including the things that men say to keep
their wives from thinking that they are cheating and the ways that the wives read too much into
what those men say and do. There is a line in the story that goes, “He’ll say you are always on
him mind, that you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to him, and that you make him glad
he’s a man” (Houston 2). The hunter will constantly say things to the woman throughout the
story, making her believe that nothing could possibly be wrong. The story continues to explain
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the hunter’s sly ways in saying “The coyote woman will come from Montana with the heavier
snows. The hunter will call you on the day of the solstice to say he has a friend in town can can’t
see you.” (Houston 2) Clearly, this man is just plain lying to his significant other at this point.
He, once again, is saying anything he can possibly think of that sounds logical in order to make
the woman believe he’s doing nothing wrong.
Along with the mysterious ways and lies of the hunter, comes the desperate and paranoid
ways that females analyze everything that their lovers do and say. In regard to the first quote
listed above about the telephone message, the story goes on to say what’s going through the
women’s mind when she’s analyzing the hunter’s sneaky actions and the suspicious phone call.
“Maybe she’ll only talk in rhyme. Maybe the counter will change to sixteen. You’ll look a
question at the mule deer on the wall, and the dark spots on either side of his mouth will tell you
he shares more with this hunter than you ever will” (Houston 1). Once a female suspects
something is up with their significant other or lover, they will over-analyze everything that
comes up.
All in all, this story makes the male species seem like scum. It also makes women look
helpless and desperate in relationships, so clearly there is a strong theme of negative gender roles
throughout the story. The hunter may not literally be a hunter, but is described that way as a
stereotype to men. According to the story, men will betray and try to cover it up. At the same
time, women will do whatever is in their power to keep their husband and believe everything
they say. Love and betrayal is something that no relationship can escape, whether it’s positive or
negative.
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Works Cited
Contemporary Authors Online. “Pam Houston.” North Dakota State Library Contemporary
Authors. 2009. Infotrac. North Dakota State University. September 12th, 2010.
http://web2.infotrac.galegroup.com.proxy.library.ndsu.edu/itw/infomark/916/971/121242
349w16/purl=rc1_CA_0_H1000115007&dyn=3!xrn_1_0_H1000115007?sw_aep=ndpub
l_58505znds
Houston, Pam. “How to Talk to a Hunter.” 1989. Pages 1-3
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Erica Rapp
English 167
Eunice Johnston
Visual Analysis Assignment
10 October 2010
Assignment #2: Mise-en-scene of Casablanca
A Spotlight Analysis on Casablanca
Made in 1942, the classic film Casablanca is one that has had a strong influence in
America and the history of cinematography. The film takes place in Europe during the heated
times of World War II. During this time, many Europeans were trying to flee from the Germans
to seek refuge in America, and one of their stops along the way to obtaining exit visas was the
city of Casablanca. Rick’s Café is a nightclub run by Rick Blaine, and becomes one of the hot
spots in the town with everyone stopping through. One of the main characters trying to obtain a
visa is Victor Lazlo, who is married to Rick’s former lover in Paris, Ilsa Lund. Ilsa had fallen in
love with Rick in Paris because she thought her husband Victor was dead. When Ilsa learns that
Victor is not dead she is forced to leave Rick at the train station in Paris, where they were
supposed to escape to Casablanca together. Word is spread in the beginning of the film that two
Germans with transit letters are murdered, and Rick gains possession of those letters. When Ilsa
and Victor learn that Rick is their key to exit visas, they hope that Rick will help them out but he
experiences inner conflict when trying to decide what he should do.
There is a particular motif that is quite noticeable and continually makes an appearance
throughout the film of Casablanca. There is a spotlight that shines from tall tower and
illuminates the city of Casablanca. The spotlight is a symbol that unconsciously reminds the
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people of the city that they’re constantly being watched. The spotlight also tends to highlight
important events and character relationships throughout the film. The light appears among many
important situations at Rick’s Café, and even with the characters of Rick, Victor, and Ilsa.
One of the first and most noticeable times the spotlight makes an appearance is when
Rick is standing outside of his café thinking to himself, shortly before he is told that the
murderers of the German officers will be arrested at Rick’s. The series of images below describe
the amount of time during this event of the film in which the spotlight makes a significant
appearance. The first image on the left is Rick thinking outside of this bar with the spotlight
shining on him briefly, right before he meets with Captain Louis. The second image is of the
spotlight itself, which becomes known to constantly circle past the doors of Rick’s Café
throughout the film. The third image on the right shows the spotlight through the café, and all
you can see is Rick’s shadow as he gets money out of his safe, possibly in order to represent his
inner uncertainty, or uncertainty about the situation itself that he’s in. The shadow itself can be a
symbol of the constant spying eye of the government and invasive actions it had during World
War II.
Another specific incident in which the spotlight shines is when Ilsa first enters Rick’s
with victor Lazlo, and later that night when she comes back to the café. The image on the left
shows Victor and Ilsa first entering Rick’s café, and the image on the right shows the couple
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leaving the café. The spotlight is conveniently circling past the door of the nightclub when the
couple are entering and exiting, possibly indicating fragility between the two and the fact that
their relationship is constantly being watched. In regards to the relationship between Ilsa and
Victor, the way that they are constantly seen together could indicate a possible rocky
relationship. They are never shown holding hands or generally acting like a couple, and the
spotlight highlights the relationship and its possible instability at the café entrance.
The next scene in which the spotlight plays a significant role is when Ilsa returns to
Rick’s café the same night, where she finds Rick drunk and remembering their times in Paris.
The most noticeable thing with this scene is that the first couple of are extremely dark,
representing the sadness and loss that Rick feels over Ilsa. These feelings that Rick experiences
while reminiscing on Paris are dark and depressing, just like the lighting in the café, as shown in
the far left image below. The mood changing as Ilsa walks in with the spotlight illuminating her
figure behind her. In the image on the right, the spotlight makes Ilsa look almost angelic and
truly highlights her natural beauty. Her appearance in this scene is generally the way that her
lovers generally see her, and almost gives the viewer a look into the minds of Rick and Victor
and what exactly it is about Ilsa that captivates them. The light shining on Ilsa could also
symbolize the brief pickup in the mood, when Ilsa explains to Rick how much he changed her
life in Paris, and how she still loves him. Throughout the scene, the spotlight continuously shines
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on Ilsa while there is not light on Rick, as seen in the far right image
below, and it reflects the different feelings and moods the two characters are experiencing
throughout the conversation.
The spotlight is a representation of many different things whether it’s an object, feeling,
or person in general. The spotlight continuously reflects the importance of certain situations or
encounters throughout the film, and constantly highlights the significance of certain relationships
among the characters. The spotlight signifies the past relationships of Ilsa and Rick, and it also
signifies the current relationship Ilsa has with Victor and the encounters that describe these
relationships. The fact that the spotlight is always circling by the doors of Rick’s Café highlights
the importance of the nightclub in general throughout the film and all of the events that take
place there. The spotlight tower could also be described as a symbol of the general European
government during the war and its intrusive actions toward citizens.
World War II was a time of chaos where the European government was constantly trying
to govern the lives of citizens with spying and outrageous laws, especially with so many people
trying to escape to America, and the people living in certain areas always felt watched. The miseen-scene of the spotlight in the explained stills above allows a viewer to fully understand the
time period of the movie, and in general the conflict throughout the story and its characters. The
spotlight tower is one of the several motifs that isn’t immediately noticeable, but once a viewer
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actually notices it and realizes the significance of it, one can realize how much it actually adds
the understanding of the movie.
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Erica Rapp
English 167
Eunice Johnston
17 October 2010
Assignment #3: Creative Writing
Short Poem:
“A Lesson for the Heart”
As Time Goes On,
We learn to love and be loved.
We learn to plant our own garden,
instead of waiting for someone else to bring us flowers.
As Time Goes On,
We learn that romance isn’t a contract,
and that promises are filled with empty words.
As Time Goes on,
We learn to build our roads on today,
Because tomorrow is too uncertain for plans.
As Time Goes On,
We learn to pick up the pieces,
but some scatter too far out of our reach.
So as time goes on, we learn to accept our defeats with purpose.
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Flash Fiction Short Story:
“The Job of a Lifetime”
It was always said that Mother Nature was the only one cut out for the job. No one else
can handle the constant demand of earth and humanity that occurs on a daily basis. When she
was discovered she was living off of nothing in the depths of space. She had so many hidden
talents that would have been put to waste if she wouldn’t have been found by the Big Guy
running the show.
He told her that he needed someone to control what goes on within earth’s atmosphere,
and that he had too much on his plate as it was. She gave her a few extra powers other than the
ones that she already had, and that was it. She really had no idea what she was supposed to be
doing, and it took years of experience to figure out how touchy Earth’s weather can be. She also
figured out that many things happened on accident, like tornados and hurricanes. Those types of
things happened when she started to get extremely frustrated, and had no other way to release her
inner anger. Mother Nature thought things like thunderstorms and lightning were beautiful, and
those types of things she planned out at the moments she thought was right. Life was good with
her new job, and overall she felt saved and thankful to have such a gifting job.
It took Mother Nature awhile to get a hang of her job, and she was extremely
overwhelmed at first by how much power she had in her hands. She had to learn that innocent
people can die in her tragic accidents, and that she had to think about the entire Earth as whole
and not just certain areas. She also had to think about the habitats for all living things, and she
had to realize that she controlled life or death with them. It was a learning process, but Mother
Nature has this stuff down to a tee. Today, the main things she struggles with are global
warming, pollution, and trying to think of a plan so that California doesn’t rip apart from North
America.
Flash Nonfiction Short Story:
“It Really is a Sport”
I’m going to be there for the next four hours. I better eat an hour before it start otherwise
I’ll probably puke when I have to run for a warm-up. I need to leave a half hour before it starts.
If I’m late the entire team with be punished. I’m not dealing with guilt trip, no way José. We’re
seriously running two miles just for a warm-up? I thought we were the dance team, not the crosscountry team. My calves feel like they’re going to fall off, stupid muscle cramps. I need to
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stretch. I can barely reach I’m so sore from yesterday’s practice. I wish I could stretch forever,
wouldn’t that be nice. Just when I become relaxed and content, it’s time to line-up for hip-hop.
Why are we starting with the hardest routine? I seriously will have no energy left for the rest of
practice. First time through wasn’t too bad, wait, we’re doing it again without a break? Oh no,
my legs are killing me. I need water. Three times through and I finally get some.
Back to work. Over and over until this part looks perfect. We’re being sloppy; some girls
aren’t trying as hard as others. I’d like to be done with this section. Two hours later, it’s on to the
jazz routine. Oh wait, we all need to practice turns first because coach won’t put up with ugly
turns today. I’m so dizzy, if I keep doing these I’m going to start falling over. Tighten your entire
body, don’t lose your spot, keep your shoulders, down, don’t EVER drop your heels, and don’t
ever fall out early. Same sections over and over. I wish I knew what time it was, conveniently
there’s no clock in here. FINALLY I think we’re calling it a night, nope, we need to run through
football and basketball sidelines. Do them again, you weren’t strong enough. Ladies, you need to
smile! Alright, that’s it for the night. It’s ten o’clock. I’m too tired for homework. My muscles
are so sore I can barely walk. Bed is my best friend. It’s the same old thing tomorrow night,
that’s the way it’s been the last twelve years. I guess this is all worth it when I get to perform. I
guess this is my form of expression, and I guess this is how I rid frustration and block out reality
for awhile. Dance is not only a sport, but a full time job without the pay. If only one could read
my mind through it all.
Six-Word Short Story:
“My love for you was bulletproof.”
Six-Word Memoir:
“Dancing is always my life story.”
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Erica Rapp
English 167
Eunice Johnston
22 October 2010
Assignment #4: Nin Wiki Entry
Ancient Sumeria & Nin
One of the first references to ancient Sumeria in Nin occurs on page 237 of the novel,
where Heduanna’s family and her writing influence. She states that her father was one of the
“most powerful men in Mesopotamia at that time” when she was doing most of her writing. She
declares that she is of Akkadian decent on her father’s side and of Sumerian decent on her
mother’s side. She therefore writes in Sumerian in memory of her mother (Dalgish 237). A quote
in the book describes Heduanna in general, in a conversation with Nin Creed, “ We are
Heduanna and Shatapda. Writers from Sumer. Mesopotamia. You know, the Tigris and
Euphrates. Maybe you call it Babylon, although that’s not precise. I understand it’s called Iraq
now.”(Dalgish 243).
Sumeria is also known as the “land of civilized lords” or the “native land.”a It was a
civilization and historical region in Southern Mesopotamia and it is now modern-day Iraq
(University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archeology and Anthropology 1). There are five major
periods of time within ancient Sumeria that strongly influenced history. The Ubaid Period (53004100 BC) was mostly pre-Sumerian, and saw the rise and importance of pottery, the Neolithic
Age, and the Chalcolithic Age. The Uruk Period (4100-2900 BC) saw most of the first part of the
Early Bronze Age, and also experienced Piora Oscillation, which was a traumatic dry period of
the land. The Early Dynastic Period (2900-2344 BC) followed the second through the fourth
parts of the Early Bronze Age, and saw the development of the city of Uruk, and is based on the
epic novel “Gilgamesh”. The Akkadian Empire occurred from 2344-2218 BC when the
Akkadians took over most of Sumerian culture. This empire included the first Lagash Dynasty,
The Sargonic Era & Sargon the Great, and the rise and fall of the Sumerian Renaissance. The last
significant empire was the Gutian Empire (2218-2047 BC) saw most of the fourth stages of the
Early Bronze Age and the second Lagash Dynasty (Deustcher 1).
The Sumerians were credited for being very creative at artistic people. They were famous
for the invention of the wheel, artistic pottery, and intricate headdresses. They were also very
plentiful in weaponry instruments and tablets that they used for writing. Music can been seen as
very important to the Sumerians, mostly with lyres, which were popular in Sumer and had a large
role with religion and civic life (University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archeology and
Anthropology 1). The Sumerians mostly used hieroglyphics and cuneiform, making Sumerian
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writing and language the oldest example of writing on earth. With the discovery of syntax,
lexicons, morphemes, phonemes, and semantics, it was eventually replaced by the Akkadian
language (University of Oxford Oriental Studies 1).
Sumerians were also the first civilization to write down their beliefs. There was no set of
organized Gods, and each city-state had its own temples, patrons, priest-kings, and minor deities.
The Ziggurats were the main Sumerian temples, and the Sumerians believed that, “the universe
was a flat disk enclosed by a tin dome; afterlife was a decent into a gloomy netherworld to spend
eternity in wretched existence.”(University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archeology and
Anthropology 1). The Sumerians were also the first civilization to practice year-round
agriculture, large-scale cultivation of land, organized irrigation, & specialized labor force. This
economy created a surplus of storable food, which allowed population to settle in one place
instead of migrating after crops and grazing land (Deustcher 1). Most ancient Sumerian
structures were made of clay and mudbrick, which easily deteriorated. This type of architecture
lead to many structures being destroyed and rebuilt on same spots, creating leveled tells, which
are leveled hills found in the ancient East today. Bricks were mostly scarce, so they were
normally only used for important city buildings like temples and forts (University of Oxford
Oriental Studies 1).
Links in PowerPoint: (YouTube) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ud0dmadqc0w
(Guide to Sumeria) http://ancientneareast.tripod.com/Sumer.html
Works Cited:
Dalgish, Cass. Nin. Duluth, Minnesota: Spinsters Ink. 2000. Print .
University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. Iraq’s Ancient Past.
Penn Museum.2009. Web. http://www.penn.museum/sites/iraq/
University of Oxford Oriental Studies. The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature. The
ETCSL Project.2006. Web. http://etcsl.orinst.ox.ac.uk/
Deutscher, Guy. Systematic Change in Akkadian: Evolution of a Sentential Complementation.
Oxford University Press. 2007. Web article/book.http:// books.google.co.uk/
books?id=XFwUxmCdG94C
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Erica Rapp
English 167
Eunice Johnston
14 November 2010
Assignment #5: Annotated Bibliography
Literary Criticism of William Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”
The Tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare is a commonly criticized topic among
literary scholars and there is a wide array of information from all different perspectives that can
be found for analyzing the play. I was able to find many different articles and guides to digging
deeper within the play, and came across many different types of areas of study and types of
literary theories to use within Macbeth, including specific character analysis or exposure,
feminism, psychoanalysis, Freudian psychoanalysis, and various themes of power and treason or
betrayal. Overall, a good amount of useful and credible information was found relating to the
topic of literary criticism and analysis on Macbeth.
Primary Source
Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. Ed. Muir, Kenneth. London: 1951.
Secondary Sources
Albright, Daniel. “The Witches and the Witch: Verdi’s Macbeth” Cambridge Opera Journal.
17.3 (2005): 225-252. JSTOR. Print.
This author of this article mainly attempts to use the composer, Guiseppe Verdi, of the
infamous Macbeth opera to find ambiguity and patterns among Macbeth and the witches. The
author notes that the witches in Macbeth consistently exemplify the “demons of malevolence and
ordinary.” In other words, the author thinks that the witches are a constant outside force on
Macbeth that allows him to posses “demon” thoughts that are against the ordinary influencing
him to do wrong. The author uses the ambiguity of Macbeth’s actions throughout Shakespeare’s
play and the musical patters used by Verdi in his opera in order to find the supernatural, evil link
that the witches have on Macbeth as a character.
This scholarly article by Daniel Albright appears in The Cambridge Opera Journal,
which is a well-established and credible journal that publishes a wide variety of carefullyresearched essays of literary works, operas, and theatre material. The article’s intended audience
is mostly scholarly or upper-level, and would be very useful for anyone trying to analyze
Macbeth as a character using outside forces within the play. The author of this article does a
credible job pointing out and backing up his claims about the witch’s influence on Macbeth, and
how this can be found by linking the play and the opera together.
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Carr, Stephen Leo. & Knapp, Peggy A.“Seeing through Macbeth.” PMLA. 96.5 (1981):
837-847. JSTOR. Print.
This article focuses mainly on finding or creating the meaning of Macbeth through its
tragic dimensions, and using that tragic focus in order to interpret the motives behind Macbeth as
a character. Both of the authors that contribute to the article look at the text from a
psychoanalytic lens in order to understand the character of Macbeth and the tensions between his
desires and deeds. In other words, the article mainly discuses the conflict within Macbeth
between doing what his internal desires tell him to do. By doing this, the authors of the article
provide a way to see through the “problematic surface” that is Macbeth, and how his tragic flaws
contribute to the richness of the play.
PMLA is a scholarly journal by the Modern Language Association and is published four
times a year. The journal is mainly received by colleges, universities, and libraries worldwide
and is used in many different courses on language and literature. The audience to which the
article is intended is a general audience because the voice and word choice within the article isn’t
too articulate or difficult. The article contains good background information and emphasizes
important and over-looked points within Macbeth, making this article extremely useful for
someone trying to better understand the play.
Dean, Leonard F. “Macbeth and Modern Criticism.” The English Journal. 47.2 (1958): 57-67.
JSTOR. Print.
Dean explains in his article that Macbeth is one of the most important plays to apply
literary criticism too along the guidelines of a general Shakespearean tragedy. In the article, he
analyzing the different tragic aspects of Macbeth and his actions like his role as a villain and a
hero, his courage, is conscious actions, his internal conflicts, and his ultimate determination that
leads to his tragic downfall. The author of this article is trying to make the reader aware of their
interpretation of Macbeth, like asking yourself “With all of the horror, do you sympathize with
Macbeth and his agony?”
The English Journal is a well-established and peer reviewed journal mostly used by
lower-level or high school education systems. With that being said, the article’s main directed
audience would be those lower-level or beginner readers. The author aims to explain how to
criticize Macbeth, and why doing so is important within a tragedy. This article is useful guide for
anyone of all ages doing any type of basic literary criticism.
Denby, Eric. “A Freudian Perspective of Lady Macbeth.” A Freudian Perspective of Lady
Macbeth. Hubpages. April 2009. Weblog. 15 November 2010.
This author of this essay seeks to uncover the human psyche and personality of Lady
Macbeth by exposing her as a character using Freudian models through a psychoanalytic lens.
The author provides supporting examples regarding Lady Macbeth’s unconscious and conscious
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thoughts, her internal conflicts between the id, ego, and superego, and applying the
reality/pleasure principle to Lady Macbeth’s actions toward her husband. By using these
techniques, the author uses his findings to establish explanations from a psychoanalytic lens to
the actions of Lady Macbeth throughout the play.
Eric Denby is an academic literary critic who is well-known for his frequent appearances
in scholarly articles, but most through posts in his academic online blog. His targeted audience
would mostly be scholars or upper-level education students. The article provides a good amount
of information on psychoanalysis criticism techniques, making this source very credible and
useful for any type of higher-level research.
Gray, Terry A. “Criticism of Individual Plays: Macbeth.” Shakespeare Criticism. 21 September
2009. Web.15 November 2010. http://shakespeare.palomar.edu/playcriticism.htm
This source is a website devoted to specific scholarly criticism on individual plays and
works of William Shakespeare. The Macbeth section provides sources for several critical articles
on the play including Freudian analysis, theatrical analysis, linguistics, and more. The site also
provides guides to the language used by Shakespeare and the different historic time periods that
he wrote in.
The website itself is a guide to finding scholarly articles and credible criticism on
different plays and works of Shakespeare, including Macbeth. This website appeals to a general
audience of all ages and scholarly levels, because it provides such a wide array of literary
information. This source would be extremely helpful for anyone of any age studying
Shakespeare’s work seeking to better understand it.
Greenblatt, Stephen. “Shakespeare and the Uses of Power.” The New York Review of Books
. 2010. Web. 15 November 2010. http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2007/apr/12
/shakespeare-and-the-uses-of-power/
The author of this magazine article seeks to emphasize the theme of power within the
play of Macbeth and how it influences ethical concepts among the characters. The author states
that the main objective is to “discover ethically adequate object for human ambition” within the
character of Macbeth. He uses some of Macbeth’s famous soliloquies to support his statement,
and also digs into Macbeth’s sense of ethical obligations throughout the play along with his
constant inner struggles.
The New York Review of Books is highly credible magazine review that publishes essays,
articles, and reviews by established literary critics, like Stephen Greenblatt. This specific article
and the source as a whole are directed toward a more mature and scholarly audience, because it
aims to provide information that could be used in elaborate or specific research regarding
different literary perspectives on the play.
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Jalic Incorporated. “A Guide to Macbeth by William Shakespeare.” The Literature Network.
2010. Web. 15 November 2010. http://www.online-literature.com/shakespeare/macbeth/
This source is an online literature guide to an array of literary works including a large
section of Shakespeare’s work and, more importantly, Macbeth. The website contains a guide to
the different sections of the play, and also provides links to scholarly criticism articles about the
play for various perspectives on the work. The website also has quizzes and discussions to be
used a study tool.
The Literature Network is a well-known student aid among schools and provides credible
scholarly research in order “to be the best resource to students possible.” The main audience of
the source is specifically students, whether it’s beginner or upper-level studies. It seeks to
specifically help students with certain areas of study and is therefore an extremely convenient
and credible source for students studying any works of Shakespeare.
Lemon, Rebecca. “Scaffolds of Treason in Macbeth.” The Theatre Journal. 54.1. (2002): 25-43.
JSTOR. Print.
The author of this article uses the theme of treason and guilt within the play of Macbeth
in order to expose the “wounds” and faults of the characters, and how the findings from this
exposure define “high and excellent tragedy.” His main example is the prisoner’s speech on the
scaffold and finding its didactic meaning and symbolism. The author also uses Aristotle’s models
of tragedy as a lens to support the topic, by provoking the audience with emotion and then
releasing that emotion through catharsis.
The Theatre Journal contains a broad array scholarly articles and reviews and is one of
the most useful publications of theatre studies world-wide, making it a very credible source. The
directed audience of the article would be slightly-scholarly, but also a more general-leveled
audience. This article would be useful to anyone analyzing a specific subject or theme within the
play itself rather than just the broad concept of certain characters.
Oracle Libraries. “Macbeth: An In-Depth Analysis.” ThinkQuest Education Foundation. October
2010. Web. 15 November 2010. http://library.thinkquest.org/2888/
This source is a website that provides students or scholars with an in-depth analysis of
each act and scene in Macbeth. The source also contains credible criticism and analysis on the
characters and themes of the play, and includes a guide to the dialect within the play.
This source is highly credible because the ThinkQuest Education Foundation has a wellestablished reputation for research guides and study aids for people of all ages. In regards to that,
the main audience of the source would be anyone of any age or education level, and especially
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those trying to better understand the dialogue, themes, and overall meanings of the play making
this source extremely useful for research.
Ramsey, Jarold. “The Perversion of Manliness in Macbeth.” Studies in English Literature, 1500
-1900. 13.2. (1973): 275-300. JSTOR. Print.
The author of this article seeks to organize and find patterns between the themes of
Macbeth and themes of manliness. The author uses examples of “manly” reflections in the play
by look at words and dialogue, “manly” actions of war, gender roles and respect, and the overall
virtue of man. He gives the example of Lady Macbeth questioning her husband’s manhood, and
how other characters in the play like the murderers or Macduff show aggressive manliness rather
than humaneness. The author concludes his article with a question about his supporting point,
“What is a man, and what is he capable of as a part of his sex and race?”
The Studies in English Literature publishes scholarly essays quarterly with all aspects of
literary canon according to the seasons and time of year, and is used as a resource for students
and scholars with specific studies. The targeted audience of this article would mostly be
scholarly or upper-level, and anyone that has a good understand of feminism and its general
assumptions. This article is very useful for anyone trying to look at Macbeth from a different
perspective than normal or in this case, using feminism lens to critically analyze the play.
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Erica Rapp
English 167
Eunice Johnston
12/5/2010
Assignment #6: Define Your Goals
1. Personal & Professional Goals
My personal goals for studying English are things that I know I’ve wanted to accomplish
for many years, and I know that accomplishing these goals will help me be the person I want to
be in everyday life and even the professional world. My main goal for studying English is to
become a more competent speaker, which includes being knowledgeable in the use of grammar.
Studying English at NDSU and taking different language and linguistic courses will help me
become a better speaker, and I believe that people can get farther in certain aspects of life just by
being able to speak well. Along with that, an important goal of mine is to become a well-written
person, because I think that by studying writing one can make themselves more competent in any
aspect of study or the career world. Another goal of mine is to better understand literature and
how it relates to everyday life. By taking literary analysis classes and studying different genres of
literature, not only am I fulfilling a youthful passion of mine but I am also discovering
explanations for many things in history, culture, aspects of the professional world, literary
analysis, why things are the way they are, and everyday life in general. English, literature, and
literary theory are things that have been personal passions of mine since I was a kid, therefore
those passions reflect my personal goals for studying English.
My professional goals for studying English directly relate with my personal goals,
because achieving my personal goals will help me with my professional goals and aid me to be
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successful with a full-time career. Along with my English major, I’m also in the process of
achieving a minor in Management Communications, and a second major in International Studies.
One of the biggest professional goals that I’m mainly focused on right now is going to graduate
school in a large city. As of right now, I haven’t decided what areas of English or
Communication studies to emphasize in, but I am working hard toward getting into graduate
school. After graduate school, my main professional goal is to work anywhere in the mass media
or for any type of world-wide corporation. Things like editing, writing, public relations, or even
advertising for major companies within the business world or the mass media are jobs that would
require the competent knowledge gained through studying English.
2. Outcomes of an English Major
The two major outcomes of an English degree that personally relate to me the most are
outcome number one and outcome number four listed on the syllabus. Outcome number one
states that English majors “will be able to write and speak effectively for a variety of purposes
and audiences in a variety of genres and media.” This outcome is important to me because it is a
close reflection of my personal and professional goals, and I think that being able to speak
efficiently and to use those skills with writing can help me greatly succeed in life overall, and
more importantly in the professional world.
Outcome number four states that English majors “will be able to manage sophisticated
writing and research projects, planning, documenting, completing, and assessing work on-tie and
within the constraints of the project.” This outcome is important to me because of the things I
want to accomplish in the professional world. The tasks listed for this outcome on the syllabus
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are things that I view as important to be competent in regarding the types of jobs I am working to
have someday.
3. Where do I want to be in five years? Graduate school
I am positive that I want to attend graduate school in order to further my areas of study,
to become more competent for the professional world, and to create more opportunities or career
advantages for myself. Schools with credible English graduate programs that interest me include
the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Colombia University in New York or Chicago, the
University of Pennsylvania, the University of Chicago, or even the University of California –
Berkeley. After researching into different areas of graduate schools, I found different disciplines
of study that I would possibly be interested in studying including Composition & Rhetoric, film
& media studies, or any type of literature emphasis available as well because I enjoy reading and
analyzing so much.
4. English major Curriculum Guide
Category III: Cultural Diversity Courses

ENGL 335 Multicultural Writers

ENGL 336 Literature and the Environment

ENGL 454 Language Bias

ENGL 456 Literacy, Culture and Identity
These are the classes from the Category III requirements that interest me the most when it
comes to fulfilling the cultural diversity credits of the English degree. The Literature and the
Environment class interests me because it would help me toward my personal goal of
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discovering explanations for different things in life or why things are the way they are. The
Language Bias and Multicultural Writers classes are important for both my personal and
professional goals as far as being a more competent reader, writer, and speaker goes, and would
aid me in being successful in the professional world.
Category IV: Upper Division English Major Courses

ENGL 360 Grammatical Structures

ENGL 380 Shakespeare

ENGL 333 Fantasy and Science Fiction

ENGL 320 Business and Professional Writing

ENGL 452 History of the English Language

ENGL 472 20th Century Writers

ENGL 486 Romantic Literature
These are a few of the elective classes that interest me the most under the upper division
English course requirements. Most of the literature classes like Shakespeare, Fantasy and
Science Fiction, 20th Century Writers, and Romantic Literature are all classes that are important
to me and my personal goals, especially when it comes to being more knowledgeable on the
world, history, culture, and why things are the way they are. Taking these classes also allows me
to fulfill my passion for literature, and can benefit me with competent knowledge in the
professional world. Classes like Grammatical Structures, History of the English Language, and
Business and Professional Writing are classes that greatly benefit my professional goals and
would be helpful with career advantages, but these classes can also help me personally become a
more competent speaker and writer.
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5. Financial Aspects
I am extremely thankful for my financial aid when it comes to paying for my tuition at North
Dakota State University. I am one of the fortunate students who have their tuition written off by
the government every semester as long as I am going to school in the state of North Dakota. Due
to the fact that I get free tuition, it is extremely important to my family and I that I stay in school
and earn good grades, and to receive a good degree for the professional world and my future as a
whole. I don’t have any plans whatsoever of not finishing school, so therefore I do not take the
tuition gift for granted. In the future I plan to attend graduate school in a different state, and
therefore I will end up working out a loan plan in order to pay for it.
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Erica Rapp
Eunice Johnston
English 167
September 6th, 2010
Assignment #7: English-related Function
Nickel and Dimed
When I went to hear the author of Nickel and Dimed speak, I was honestly just going for
the extra credit. I’m proud to stay that I stayed through the entire speech even though I planned
on leaving early. I was completely captivated and entertained by the author of the book. By the
end of the presentation, I was moved by what was said and really took to hear the message that
was given that night. The presentation was held in the Festival Concert Hall and North Dakota
State University on the evening of September 2nd.
The most interesting quotation that I heard from the speaker was that in America we keep
“kicking people who are already down.” I truly believe in that statement because unless you’re
unemployed or homeless, many fortunate people don’t understand what the less fortunate are
going through. Most of the time, the unfortunate can’t help it. In my own thoughts, I learned
from this speech that unemployment, homelessness, or even working at minimum wage, is a
vicious black hole-like cycle that’s very hard to get out of once you get in it.
I thoroughly enjoyed the context in which the author spoke. She was quite humorous and
I found myself laughing at her job descriptions of Wal-Mart and as a hotel cleaning woman. One
thing that caught me by surprise was when she stated that the homeless women she worked with
didn’t consider themselves homeless. They were living in cars and didn’t technically have a
place to live, and didn’t consider themselves homeless.
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Overall, this speaker did teach me a lesson. It’s very important to value your education
and to bottom line, be smart and careful financially. I have had some serious thoughts about
buying her novel to read more in-depth about her opinions and experiences!