ENG 200: Introduction to Literature

Unit Resources

Unit 1: Plot, Summary, Character, and Point of View

visual plot representations - Freytag's pyramid represents an ideal plot structure, but real stories have much more complicated plots. This link provides some additional examples of visual plot representations that represent more complex real narratives.

Review these resources after reading Doll House and listen to the accompanying podcast:

"Doll's House" Controversy - When Ibsen's play was produced in Germany, the original ending was deemed too scandalous for audiences. In many Northern German theatres, an altered version of the play, where Nora did not leave her family, was produced (as stated on ibsen.net: "The first German performance of the play, in Kiel on February 6th 1880, was in this alternative version"). What may be most surprising is that Ibsen wrote the alternate ending himself. Use the links below to read the alternate ending and a letter that Ibsen wrote about his decision to create this ending to please the theatres, and ostensibly, the audiences in Germany.

Author Information: Unit 1 (optional for your interest)

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Unit 2: Analyzing Theme, Tone, and Figurative Language

Introduction to poetry and key terms - (by Paul P. Ruben, California State University at Stanislaus) - This page give detailed information about formal features of poetry. You are welcome to use this as an additional resource, though you will only be responsible for definitions explicitly listed on the Unit Definitions page.

Review this resource after reading "The Yellow Wallpaper" and listen to the accompanying podcast:

Silas Weir Mitchell (1829-1914) on his Rest Cure - the medical treatement that the narrator of "The Yellow Wallpaper" endures was based on a real treatment that was popular in late nineteenth century America. In this period, psychology was still a very young discipline, and just about any unknown mental disturbance suffered by a woman was classified as a "neurological disorder." This link provides an excerpt from Dr. Mitchell's description of his "Rest Cure." Note that Dr. Mitchell is actually mentioned in "The Yellow Wallpaper"--John threatens to send his wife to this doctor if she does not follow his instructions.

Author Information: Unit 2 (optional for your interest)

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Unit 3: Literature in Critical Contexts

Additional Readings (see the "Unit 3 Resources" section Resources tool for copies of these articles).

Dowling, Ellen. "The Derailment of A Streetcar Named Desire". Literature Film Quarterly, 1981; 9 (4): 233-40.

Lipari, Lisbeth. "Fearful of the written word: white fear, black writing, and Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun screenplay." Quarterly Journal of Speech, Feb2004, Vol. 90 Issue 1, p81-102. [excerpts as indicated in the PDF file]

Author Information: Unit 3 (optional for your interest)

Obtaining Films for Unit 3

Film versions/excerpts should be viewed after you have read Streetcar Named Desire and Raisin in the Sun. The specific film versions indicated below are the ones that should be used for reasons that will be clear as you study the critical articles for this unit. All of the films below are available through Netflix, and should also be available in most public library systems and video stores. There are also copies on reserve at the Lourdes library that you can watch at the library (to ensure they are available).

Film versions to find:

Streetcar Named Desire: 1951 version dircected by Elia Kazan; screenplay by Tennessee Williams [also available on-line through Amazon VOD]
Raisin in the Sun: 1961 version directed by Daniel Petrie; screenplay by Lorraine Hansberry [also available on-line through Amazon VOD]
Raisin in the Sun: 2008 version directed by Kenny Leon; teleplay by Paris Qualles

Video Selections for Unit 3 Films

Because the critical articles we are reading for this unit deal with changes between the stage and film versions of these plays, you should watch the sections of the indicated film versions. You are welcome to watch the films in their entirety, but be sure to at least view the section indicated here.

Streetcar Named Desire:

This is the definitive version of Streetcar, and it is a fine film. You are free to watch the entire film, but at least be sure to watch or pay special attention to the excerpts below where there are examples of edits to the original play.

00:00-7:22 (DVD Chs 1-3) to "waiter, waiter"
11:25-14:00 (Ch 4) to "what'd you do, fall asleep?"
29:31-34:07 (Ch 7) to Stanley turning off the radio and staring down Blanche
38:16-42:45 (Chs 9-10) to Stella coming down the stairs
45:06-51:36 (Chs 12-13) to "much more practical"
59:00-1:02:55 (Ch 15) to where the young man leaves
1:11:11-1:16:06 (Chs 16-17) to Mitch standing in the shop
1:25:20-1:29:24 (Ch 19) to "take me to the hospital"
1:32:50-1:39:40 (Chs 20-21)to Blanche screaming
1:41:12-2:04:20 [end] (Chs 22-27)

(approx. 1 hour 10 mins of selections)

Raisin in the Sun (1961):

Though there are several versions of Raisin in the Sun, this film adaptation is by far the best. It is the only one that Hansberry (the author of the play) wrote the screenplay for. You are free to watch the entire film, but at least be sure to watch or pay special attention to the excerpts below.

00:00-13:22 (DVD Chs 1-4) to 4 "get married and shut up"
28:00-29:55 (Ch 8) to "no liquor"
33:21-34:58 (Chs 9-10) to knock on the door
46:02-51:06 (Chs 12-13) to "no kind of job at all"
1:07:20-1:14:32 (Chs 17-18) to Walter leaving
1:19:00-1:36:47 (Chs 19-22) to "no honey, marry 'em"
1:48:48-2:07:34 [end] (Chs 25-28)

(approx. 1 hour 6 minutes of selections)

Raisin in the Sun (2008):

This is a recent adaptation of the play with a very poor performance of Walter Lee by Sean ("P. Diddy") Combs. I do not recommend that you attempt to watch the whole film, but I did want everyone to see the scenes below, which are attempts to create some of the scenes that Hansberry envisioned in the original screenplay but were cut by the studio executives (there is a full explanation of this in the critical article by Lipari you are reading in Unit 3).

00:00-2:06 (DVD Ch 1) to until Lena entering house--note the use of the poem in the beginning
14:30-17:40 (Ch 4) to Walter getting in the car--note the shots of the hands of various people
20:28-22:05 (Ch 5) to Lena looking at apples
1:30:00-1:40:00 (Chs 20-21) visit to house and first visit of the Clybourne Park representative--note Benetha's "howdedo neighbors" and differences in scene with rep.

(approx. 17 minutes of selections)

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MLA Format

Use the MLA format samples link below to help you format your essay. If you need additional help, see the other links, visit the WIN Center, or ask me.

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Unit Definitions

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