Literature
• What have other literary critics observed about Edgar Allan Poe’s style? Do you see evidence of this in “The Cask of Amontillado?”
• Does “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” reflect any realities of the Civil War, or Ambrose Bierce’s own experiences serving in that war?
• What is the critical assessment of the role of music or Harlem in James Baldwin’s “Sonny’s Blues”? Do you agree/disagree with any of these perspectives, or do they help you expand on your own interpretation of the story?
• How does Nikki Giovanni’s poetry exhibit the mission of the Black Arts movement?
• What does Leslie Marmon Silko’s “Yellow Woman” reveal about Laguna Pueblo culture and belief?
• Why is Sandra Cisneros’ “Loose Woman” called a feminist poem? How does her feminist work draw from her Chicana culture and identity?
• Does Sherman Alexie’s “Every Little Hurricane” reveal realities of indigenous experience in America, specifically modern life on reservations?
