ENG 005 Reading Improvement II
Northern Virginia Community College
Assignments Schedule

 


Comparing Short Stories


     The three stories "Masses of Men," "The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze," and "Gumption," are all products of the period of the Depression and the New Deal.  Yet, they differ in many ways.  

 

                                                   Task #12


a)  Read with care "The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze" by William Saroyan and review "Gumption" by Langston Hughes. 

b)  Take notes on each of them.  

c)  Then create a chart comparing and contrasting the three stories in  the ways you used to analyze "Masses of Men" in Task #9 and 10.  Add a statement of the theme of each story. 

d)  Fax or e-mail your work to me when you're finished. 

Task #13

1)  In a well-written and carefully organized essay, compare and contrast the three stories in terms what each of them has to tell us about the period of the Depression.  In your essay discuss the themes they communicate, the people they chose to introduce you to in their stories, and the actions and interactions that take place.  Be sure to identify those elements of the Depression that appear in all three stories.

b)  Again, write your essay in Word, spell-check it, and then copy and paste it into an e-mail message addressed to     wreading@listserv.cc.va.us

 

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Last Revised:  02/02/00
Contact:  Nancy McTaggart, Northern Virginia Community College