Short Answer: (Answer 3 of 8, worth 100 points): Remember to use specific evidence from the texts to support your answers. These should take at least two or three paragraphs to answer sufficiently.
Gender roles have a lot to do with how we grow up and act within marriage. We are expected to fit into these roles, and sometimes we rebel. In “The Story of an Hour” and “The Yellow Wallpaper” we clearly see evidence of this. Use specific examples and details from the texts to support your stance about the contribution of gender roles to shaping our behavior.
In both “Revolution” and “Revolt of the Unfit,” we see a conflict between labor and capital. Explain what this conflict is, and describe how each narrator proposes to deal with it. Refer to as many specific details from the stories as you can.
Venturing outside of one’s familiar cultural niche leads to relationships that exist between the rich and the poor in “Brickdust Row” and “A Lickpenny Lover.” Compare the levels of self-awareness in each of these exchanges. How does the individual self-awareness of the character contribute to the relationship? Provide examples from the stories for your answer.
In “An Irresponsible Educated Class” and “A Respectable Woman” the issue of how much responsibility women owe to society is questioned since they are not full participants in the decision-making processes that affect their lives. How is this argument made, and what are the consequences to institutions of society, such as marriage? Use specific details from the texts in your answer.
Societal prejudice is explored in “Désirée’s Baby” and “The Sheriff’s Children.” The power of prejudice to shape the imagination of an individual or a community is strong, and I’d like you to explore that and come up with some specifics. Is there truth to the theory of the power of negative thinking?
In “The Disenfranchisement of the Negro,” the author tells us numerous ways African-Americans have had their rights undermined since their release from slavery. Recount a few of these, and tell me how you still see their effects in today’s society.
Gender roles and societal expectations of the genders is a theme throughout many of these works. Using at least two works, demonstrate what dilemmas a person faces when coming to the decision of how to deal with cultural expectations. Make sure and use concrete details in your answer.
In many of these works, the individual conflicts with a reality or a culture that oppresses them. Describe this conflict in at least two works, and explain if and how it is resolved. Make sure to use details from the works to describe the conflict.
BONUS 2 POINTS: Tell me what the CRAAP acronym stands for.
