For your project, you should choose one of the following options.

Select a character from the novel you have. (The Novel I chose to read was “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin. The Character is Sonny) Explain what makes that character uniquely American. Please feel free to think outside the box. There are characters within these novels that may not be legally or technically American but are tremendous examples of the American spirit. This gives you a lot of opportunity to really explore a character that interests you.

Compare and contrast the film version of The Great Gatsby with the written version of This Side of Paradise. The 1974 version is available in sections on YouTube, but there is also a 2000 made-for-television version, and of course the 2013 remake. The choice is yours, but keep in mind that you will need a strong debatable thesis to guide this essay. You may want to focus on specific elements, such as comparing two characters or the varying themes.

Most of these works have strong regional ties. How does the author connect the work to the region in which it is set? What do these regional elements contribute to the overall meaning of the work?

You may develop your own topic, but you will need to run it by me no later than the end of week 6.