Ethnic American Literature, fall 2007
Essay #7
Due in class Dec. 14

Choose one.

Option 1:
Argue for or against Aloft as “ethnic American literature,” explaining your criteria and giving examples that show how the novel does or does not fit.

Option 2:
Theresa has characterized Jerry as “the last living white man” (28). Does this seem like a good assessment of him? Why or why not? (Note: You can approach this question from a couple different directions. One might be to consider whether or not Jerry has a healthy attitude toward people of other races/ethnicities. Another might be to ask whether Jerry, as an Italian American, is white, or ethnic.)

Option 3:
Ethnicity may also overlap with issues of class, as we’ve seen throughout the semester (for example, the identity of “middle class” in Hunger of Memory, upward mobility across generations in Lost in Translation). How do class and ethnicity relate in Aloft?

For all questions:
This essay should be 2-3 full pages, double spaced, paginated, with normal margins and font (Times New Roman, size 12, is standard). Do give your essay a title. Document all sources (including the primary texts) in accordance with MLA style. Keep in mind that I do not accept late papers, and plan accordingly.