American Literature
Assignment #5: October 2-4, 2007
1. Vocabulary:
1. Inculcate:
To impress something upon the mind of another by frequent instruction or
repetition; instill. "In the
jungle, might is right, nor does it take long to inculcate this axiom in the
mind of a jungle dweller, regardless of what his past training may have
been" (Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Son of Tarzan).
2. Infrastructure: The basic facilities, services, and
installations needed for the functioning of a community or a society, such as
transportation, water and power lines, and public institutions, such as
schools, post offices and prisons.
3. Interpolate:
To insert or introduce between other elements or parts; to insert
material into a text. To
change or falsify a text with new or incorrect material.
4. Irony:
The use of words to express something different to and opposite of their
literal meaning; incongruity between what one might expect and what actually
occurs.
5. Jejune:
Not interesting, dull; lacking maturity, childish.
6. Kinetic:
Of, relating to, or produced by motion.
7. Kowtow:
To kneel and touch the forehead to the ground in expression of deep
respect, worship, oe submission, as formerly done in
8. Laissez faire: An economic doctrine that opposes
governmental regulation of or interference in commerce beyond the minimum
necessary for a free enterprise system to operate.
9. Lexicon:
A dictionary; a stock of terms used in a particular profession, subject,
or style; a vocabulary. The lexicon
of anatomy includes terms such as "aorta" and "duodenum."
10. Loquacious:
Very talkative; garrulous.
2. Reading: This week, we begin reading a new book—The
Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne.
Like
Read the
introduction-- “The Customs-House”--and chapters one, two, and three. Summarize the
introduction and each of the three chapters in one or two sentences; be sure to
mention the characters that are introduced in these chapters.
3.Writing: Finish writing your essay on
moral perfection. Turn it in on
Thursday, October 4.
Write an essay in which you
describe Benjamin Franklin as you have seen him in the Autobiography. Craft a thesis that accounts not only for his
achievements, but also for the attitude or energy that drove and inspired
him. Outline your points using
traditional outline form (you will turn in the outline with the essay).
The purpose of the essay is to
offer some insight into what made this man so influential, so memorable, or so
worthy of study. It is not meant as a
forum for enumerating his flaws, except as they may fit into the greater
context of your discussion. Likewise,
you should not merely enumerate his achievements or his virtues. Any enumeration must be part of the
discussion of greater points.
Do be sure to incorporate ample
examples and quotations from the Autobiography.
When you do, use MLA parenthetical citations.
(750 words;
due October 18).