Welcome to American Literature! I look forward to exploring several exciting pieces of literature with you this semester, looking especially at the American dream and its changing definition of prosperity. Some of the key questions we will consider this semester are:
Dreams
What does the “American dream” mean to the people of each period?
How is a goal accomplished or derailed?
Personal Question: What is your “American/ Dominican dream?”
Prosperity
How is prosperity defined? In terms of material prosperity or spiritual prosperity?
How does one’s view of prosperity affect his lifestyle and choices?
How does God define prosperity? (Is there a difference between God’s economy and man’s economy?)
Worldview
Who is God?
Who is man?
What is the nature of the universe?
What happens at death?
What is the meaning of human history?
What is knowledge?
What is morality?
Story
Why read and write stories?
How does the structure of a story impact its message?
What does the author want the reader to understand (theme)?
What can a Christian take away from a non-Christian piece of literature?