Study for In-Class Essay #1
Your first in-class will be on Thursday, April 29, 2004. It will consist of six questions, all of which are based on our unit on the money and success in Rereading America. You will choose one of these questions and write an essay on it. To prepare, do the following:
1. Reread the seven essays in this unit: "Class in America: Myths and Realities" (331-345), "Stephen Cruz" (348-352), "From Seven Floors Up" (381), "Trung Dung" (310-316), "Serving in Florida" (317-329), "The Black Avenger" (384-392), and "Good Noise: Cora Tucker" (353-363).
2. Think about the following issues:
- What are the similarities and differences between Stephen Cruz, Cora Tucker, and Trung Dung?
- What does the American Dream mean to you? What has shaped your perception of this dream? How have the readings in this unit affected your views?
- What do you think of the idea of class in America? Does Mantsios do a good job dispelling the myths about class in his essay? Why or why not?
- How do Cora Tucker and ken Hamblin see success? How do each of them feel about poverty, obstacles, and welfare?
- Compare the relationship between the homeless man and Olds and Ehrenreich and her co-workers. How are each of their relationships shaped?
- What do you think of this unit of Rereading America? How has reading these essays affected your attitudes toward success and work?
3. Bring one page of handwritten notes, one side of the page only, on the issues above. You will have a choice of topics.
4. Bring Rereading America, paper, pens, dictionaries, and this study guide to class on Thursday.