II. Choose five of the following passages (I will count your best four). For each, first identify the author and the work. Then, in a paragraph, examine fully one significant aspect of the passage; How does understanding this passage contribute to a better understanding of the work as a whole? What cultural values does the passage express, or challenge? What techniques does it rely upon to produce meaning? (NB—you need not address all or even any of these questions. But however you proceed, summarizing the plot will not suffice!) Superior paragraphs will have strong topic sentences that indicate a clear analytical purpose, and they will directly quote relevant words and phrases from the passage in support of the main idea. Grammar and mechanics do, indeed, “count,” so try to allow time for at least one proof-reading of your responses. (10 points each; 40 points total)
- From her room in Fuzhou tonight, / all alone she watches the moon. / Far away, I grieve that her children / can’t understand why she thinks of Chang’an. . . . / when will we lean by chamber curtains / and let it light the two of us, our tear stains dried?