The Mother Road in Steinbeck's Novel

We know of terms like 'mother country', 'motherland' (we met this one in Achebe's Things Fall Apart when Okonkwo and his family went into exile there, and the narrator and Uchendu tell us why that was significant), 'mother tongue', and 'mother language', for example.  All these terms are metaphorical.

In The Grapes of Wrath we read of the 'mother road'.   Why do you think Steinbeck uses that phrase in this novel?

LITS 1002 Poster Project

Now that your group project has been completed, do you think for you and/or your partner(s) the objectives (outlined in the given instructions with respect to acquisition of knowledge, fostering of cooperative skills, etcetera) were achieved?  Was it a worthwhile endeavour, and why or why not?

The Picture of Dorian Gray as a Cautionary Tale

Do you agree that The Picture of Dorian Gray can be considered as a cautionary tale?  If not, why not?  If yes, what in particular do you think it cautions us about?

Lovelace's Prologue

The prologue in The Dragon Can't Dance is analogous to the abstract in Labov's model of natural narrative, i.e. it has to do with the question "what is this story about?"    The structure of the prologue mirrors the thematic and plot structure of the narrative; and, it is rife with elements of orality and figurative language.

Discuss your impressions of this prologue and how it impacts your reading of the rest of the novel.