Analysis of Selected Literature: Fodder for the Open Prompt

I. The American Dream

a. First read: Can you say, “what?!” A play immersed in ambiguity and sexual references.

b. Second read: The ambiguity didn’t exactly disappear, but bits of nonsense began to form meaning.

c. Basic theme: The decay of the American Dream

II. Death of a Salesman

a. First read: Much easier to get through than The American Dream. A tale of tragedy that evokes a strong emotional response for readers, even on the first read.

b. Second read: Subtleties became more clear, such as allusions and symbols, adding to the picture Death of a Salesman created on the first read.

c. Basic theme: The fallacy of the American Dream

III. Ceremony

a. First read: Another “what?!” first read. Without any background information on Native American culture, Ceremony was difficult to get through.

b. Second read: I loved Ceremony. Seriously though, I thought Silko did a spectacular job weaving her novel together, although it took me a while to understand it.  

c. Basic theme: There are many-- The cyclic pattern of life, how the world is inter-related, the power of rituals to define a community, and the ever-changing way of the world are just a few. Each time I think about the book though, more come to mind.

IV. Pride and Prejudice

a. First read: A monotonous tale about the struggles of a family of sisters to find suitable men for marriage.

b. Second read: Jane Austen actually had more in mind than the struggles of marriage for five sisters.

c. Basic theme: Exploring the options for women in the 1800’s with consequences that reverberate to present day, feminism.

V. Hamlet

a. First read: Getting past the Elizabethan-age English was probably the biggest hurdle when getting though Hamlet. Beyond that though, the tragedy also proved difficult to digest in just one read. Although the play is compelling and mysterious, it is hard to understand just what Shakespeare wanted his audiences to know after watching Hamlet.