The nonchalance of boys
Paper instructions:
Questions:
State the meaning of the following your own words:
“The nonchalance of boys who are sure of a dinner, and would disdain as much as a lord to do or say aught to conciliate one, is the healthy attitude of human nature.”
“Society everywhere is in conspiracy against the manhood of every one of its members”
“For non-conformity the world whips you with it’s displeasure.”
“To be great is to be misunderstood”
“We lie in the lap of immense intelligence, which makes us organs of its activities and receivers of its truth.”
“Insist on yourself; never imitate.”
“The God that holds you over the pit of hell, much as one holds a spider, or some loathsome insect, over the fire, abhors you, and is dreadfully provoked; his wrath towards you burns like fire”
Write an essay on one of the following. The length should be not more than 500 words. Proofread: obvious errors in usage and grammar will hurt your score.
Compare the central tenets of puritanism, Deism, and transcendentalism.
1. Discuss (you may criticize if you wish) the core beliefs of the transcendentalism.
2. Discuss the characteristics and accomplishments of the founding fathers. (Not of course, all of them: choose at least three to concentrate on.)
3. Discuss the poetry of Anne Bradstreet and Edward Taylor.
4. Choose a poem by Emerson and explicate it (summarize it’s meaning and relate, if you can, its theme or themes to the concepts of transcendentalism.
5. What did you learn about America and its early development thus far in this course that surprised you?
6. Criticize “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” from the view point of a transcendentalist.
7. Write an essay on “Self-Reliance”
8. Discuss “Civil disobedience.” you should summarize its argument and point out its historical importance.
9. Discuss Walden. (Point out its main ideas and comment upon Thoreau’s style.)
10. Write an essay on Poe, discussing the biographical details of his life and his contribution to both American and world literature.
