After reading and studying the novel The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah, write a paper in which you analyze the novel through one (or two in combination) of the following lenses:
Historical/ Sociological: Imagine yourself as a historian or sociologist. Study the history/sociology of real persons living through the Great Depression and/or The Dust Bowl more specifically, to make connections between the struggles and experiences of “real” persons living during times of extreme conflict and the ones portrayed in the novel. What themes is Hannah exploring and what does her fictive representation of these characters’ stories reveal about the Depression/Dust Bowl experience, both in society and in the novel?
Gender: Study the characters in the novel in terms of their gender identity. You may choose to focus strictly on the women in the novel, in their lives and in relation to men or vice-versa. With feminist valuing, analyze the characters, male and female, in the novel. What themes are explored in the novel, and what do these reveal about the gender roles of the characters — and real life persons they may represent?
Class: Study the ways in which the novel emphasizes the role of class and ideology reflecting, propagating, and even challenging the prevailing social order. What commentary or critique might Hannah be making in capturing the conflict between the dominant and inferior ideologies, the cultural and socio-economic clashes? (You may take an economic argument in any direction you so choose; it need not be in alignment with the one you believe the book supports).
To sustain a unified analysis of the novel, choose one of the critical perspectives. All textual support should be discussed in the context of one critical lens. Keep your focus and coherence by putting your supporting examples in the critical context. To avoid fallacious and erroneous reasoning, be sure to make specific connections.
Use specific examples from the novel; analysis should accompany summary.
Incorporate at least two outside scholarly sources other than the novel (from the criticism, research and/or about the novel, author, genre, time period, etc). All sources, quoted or paraphrased, must be cited in MLA standardization.
