Kate Chopin's literature tackled controversial topics like women's independence in the late 19th century. Her novel The Awakening was criticized for discussing a woman leaving her family to discover her own life. Chopin's stories examined how societal restrictions limited human fulfillment by denying happiness to characters due to gender roles, racism, or rules on sexuality. One discussion question compares the characters of Mrs. Mallard and Calixta and asks if Chopin was sympathetic or judgmental towards their actions. James Joyce was a meticulous writer known for complex works filled with allusions and references. His collection Dubliners contains more accessible stories that still require consideration of contextual details. One discussion question asks about the importance of the

1. 2 discussion posts of 300 words each
writing discussion question and need guidance to help me learn.
2discussion post of 300 words each
:Chopin
As the above video explains, Kate Chopin's literature tackles topics such as love,
relationships, race, and sexuality. Her beautiful novel The Awakening
Links to an external site.
, for example, is the story of a young wife and mother who longs for something different, so
she leaves her family and discovers a life of her own. When it was published in 1899, it was
met with controversy and criticism, eventually leading to its censorship. The mainstream
public was disturbed by the frank discussion of a woman asserting her independence and
forgoing her role as wife and mother. The protagonist also has a sexual awakening as she
begins a relationship with another man.
Kate Chopin's Unconventional Views
As the editor's of Making Literature Matter: Third Edition point out, "Kate Chopin was not a
conformist thinker, and her stories are filled with views of desire, love, and relationships
meant to provoke her late-nineteenth-century readers. Indeed, they continue to provoke
audiences today." The three stories assigned to you hopefully caused you to think.
While today we think of Chopin as a feminist writer, her stories are more broadly humanist
in that they examine the ways in which society puts all people into categories that limit their
ability to explore the wide range of human experience and expression. In each of today's
stories, happiness/passion is denied due to societal constraints--whether that be due to
racism, gender restrictions, or rules regulating human sexuality. Each of the women in the
stories are aware of the expectations placed on them due to their gender (think Psyche),
and in their own way, each has attempted to conform. Désirée in "Désirée's Baby" perhaps
comes closest to the Psyche stereotype, but she is denied a happy ending due to the social
construction of race. Louise Mallard in "The Story of an Hour" attempts to live up to the
feminine ideal, but she represses her dissatisfaction with her role to the point that it makes
her ill--or at least her doctors have convinced her she has heart disease. This is an apparent
misdiagnosis, however, as she certainly becomes the picture of health when she recognizes
her freedom. Of course, she isn't given a happy ending either. The only story that has a
happy ending is "The Storm," a story in which a woman--Calixta--ignores the Psyche
stereotype in a chance encounter during a storm and has an experience unlike any she has

2. ever had before. Chopin ends the story by stating, "So the storm passed and every one was
happy."
As you participate in this discussion, consider these questions from Making Literature
Matter: Third Edition and choose one to discuss:
1. Compare Mrs. Mallard and Calixta. Do you think Louise would have an extramarital affair?
Is Chopin sympathetic to Louise and Calixta? Judgmental?
2. Which female character--Calixta, Louise, or Désirée--possesses true love for her husband?
Do the husbands love their wives more? In different ways?
3. Which one of these marriages seems strongest? Why?
4. Compare Chopin's attitude toward marriage in these three stories. Does she support all
aspects of marriage? Since she wrote over a century ago, would she be please with the
present state of marriage (including divorce)?
5. Chopin's stories criticize societal restrictions that get in the way of human happiness and
fulfillment. Choose a story and explain what needs to change in society in order for the
characters to have a happy ending.
James Joyce's Life and Work 2nd discussion
James Joyce is one of the most influential writers of the 20th Century. See the video below to
become familiar with his life and work:
As you can tell from the above video, Joyce's work is often dense and difficult to understand.
He was a particularly meticulous writer. There is a story--or myth/legend--that a friend of
his walked into Joyce's study and found Joyce looking crestfallen with his head in his hands.
His friend asked what was wrong, and Joyce said it was his writing. His friends responded
by asking how many words Joyce was able to write that day. "Seven," Joyce responded.
"Seven? Well, that is good for you," his friend said.
"Yes," said Joyce, "but I don't know what order they go in." Joyce's Dubliners
Joyce often blankets his text with allusions and references that add layers of meaning to the
work, but they take a very clever individual to understand them. Much of his work takes a
lot of
effort to understand, but the stories contained in his collection of short stories Dubliners are
much more accessible. However, they still are filled with complexity. Consider all the
allusions and explanations provided by this version of “Araby” on the Genius website. You
will see how intricate the story is when you consider all of the references and details he
provides.
The story appears early in Dubliners, and it centers on a young boy's first disappointment
with romance. It is told from the perspective of a middle-aged man, however, as we can tell
by the more sophisticated voice of the narrator. What 12-year-old boy goes around saying
things such as, "Gazing up into the darkness, I saw myself as a creature driven and derided
by vanity, and my eyes burned with anger and anguish"? It is as if the narrator has grown
completely disillusioned with the concept of "Love" in his middle-age, and he wants to pin-
point the first time he realizes that love sucks. He calls upon his memory to find the first
time he was made a fool due to pursuing love and remembers a time when he was a boy and
fell in love with---what's her name? --Mangen's sister. (He can't even remember the name of
this girl whose name was so important to him.) He makes a promise to her to buy her a gift

3. at the bazaar Araby, but when he arrives to fulfill his promise, it all falls apart.
As you participate in this discussion, consider these questions and choose one to discuss:
1. Joyce calls the story "Araby." What is the importance of this title? What does Araby
represent and how does it relate to the theme?
(The following questions are from Making Literature Matter Third Edition, ed. by Schilb and
Clifford):
2. Why do the boy's eyes burn with anguish and anger? Has he learned something about
romantic love? Was he in love with Mangen's sister? Give evidence.
3. If this story is partly autobiographical, what is Joyce's attitude toward his younger self?
Are you sympathetic or critical of your own initiations into the complexities of
relationships?
4. Reread the first and last paragraph. In what ways might they be connected? 5. Find
examples of religious imagery. What do you think is its purpose?
Requirements: As above. 600 words total | .doc file
2 discussions for pradeep due jan 22Chopinhttps://youtu.be/wWaTA7Rbr3gAs the above
video explains, Kate Chopin's literature tackles topics such as love, relationships,race, and
sexuality. Her beautiful novelThe AwakeningLinks to an external site., for example, is the
story of a young wife and mother who longs for something different, so sheleaves her family
and discovers a life of her own. When it was published in 1899, it was metwith controversy
and criticism, eventually leading to its censorship. The mainstream public wasdisturbed by
the frank discussion of a woman asserting her independence and forgoing her roleas wife
and mother. The protagonist also has a sexual awakening as she begins a relationshipwith
another man.Kate Chopin's Unconventional ViewsAs the editor's ofMaking Literature
Matter: ThirdEditionpoint out, "Kate Chopin was not aconformist thinker, and her stories
are filled with views of desire, love, and relationships meantto provoke her late-nineteenth-
century readers. Indeed, they continue to provoke audiencestoday." The three stories
assigned to you hopefully caused you to think.While today we think of Chopin as a feminist
writer, her stories are more broadly humanist inthat they examine the ways in which
society puts all people into categories that limit their abilityto explore the wide range of
human experience and expression. In each of today's stories,happiness/passion is denied
due to societal constraints--whether that be due to racism, genderrestrictions, or rules
regulating human sexuality. Each of the women in the stories are aware ofthe expectations
placed on them due to their gender (think Psyche), and in their own way, eachhas
attempted to conform. Désirée in "Désirée's Baby" perhaps comes closest to the
Psychestereotype, but she is denied a happy ending due to the social construction of race.
LouiseMallard in "The Story of an Hour" attempts to live up to the feminine ideal, but she
represses herdissatisfaction with her role to the point that it makes her ill--or at least her
doctors haveconvinced her she has heart disease. This is an apparent misdiagnosis,
however, as she certainlybecomes the picture of health when she recognizes her freedom.
Of course, she isn't given ahappy ending either. The only story that has a happy ending is
"The Storm," a story in which awoman--Calixta--ignores the Psyche stereotype in a chance
encounter during a storm and has anexperience unlike any she has ever had before. Chopin
ends the story by stating, "So the stormpassed and every one was happy."

4. As you participate in this discussion, consider these questions fromMaking Literature
Matter:Third Editionand choose one to discuss:1. Compare Mrs. Mallard and Calixta. Do you
think Louise would have an extramarital affair?Is Chopin sympathetic to Louise and Calixta?
Judgmental?2. Which female character--Calixta, Louise, or Désirée--possesses true love for
her husband?Do the husbands love their wives more? In different ways?3. Which one of
these marriages seems strongest? Why?4. Compare Chopin's attitude toward marriage in
these three stories. Does she support allaspects of marriage? Since she wrote over a
century ago, would she be please with the presentstate of marriage (including divorce)?5.
Chopin's stories criticize societal restrictions that get in the way of human happiness
andfulfillment. Choose a story and explain what needs to change in society in order for
thecharacters to have a happy ending.James Joyce's Life and Work 2nd discussionJames
Joyce is one of the most influential writers of the 20th Century. See the video below
tobecome familiar with his life and work:https://youtu.be/1SuHkY2wAQAAs you can tell
from the above video, Joyce's work is often dense and difficult to understand. Hewas a
particularly meticulous writer. There is a story--or myth/legend--that a friend of hiswalked
into Joyce's study and found Joyce looking crestfallen with his head in his hands. Hisfriend
asked what was wrong, and Joyce said it was his writing. His friends responded by
askinghow many words Joyce was able to write that day. "Seven," Joyce responded."Seven?
Well, that is good for you," his friend said."Yes," said Joyce, "but I don't know what order
they go in."Joyce'sDublinersJoyce often blankets his text with allusions and references that
add layers of meaning to thework, but they take a very clever individual to understand
them. Much of his work takes a lot of
effort to understand, but the stories contained in his collection of short
storiesDublinersaremuch more accessible. However, they still are filled with complexity.
Consider all the allusionsand explanations provided by this version of“Araby”on the Genius
website. You will see howintricate the story is when you consider all of the references and
details he provides.The story appears early inDubliners, and it centerson a young boy's first
disappointment withromance. It is told from the perspective of a middle-aged man,
however, as we can tell by themore sophisticated voice of the narrator. What 12-year-old
boy goes around saying things suchas, "Gazing up into the darkness, I saw myself as a
creature driven and derided by vanity, and myeyes burned with anger and anguish"? It is as
if the narrator has grown completely disillusionedwith the concept of "Love" in his middle-
age, and he wants to pin-point the first time he realizesthat love sucks. He calls upon his
memory to find the first time he was made a fool due topursuing love and remembers a time
when he was a boy and fell in love with---what's her name?--Mangen's sister. (He can't even
remember the name of this girl whose name was so importantto him.) He makes a promise
to her to buy her a gift at the bazaar Araby, but when he arrives tofulfill his promise, it all
falls apart.As you participate in this discussion, consider these questions and choose one to
discuss:1. Joyce calls the story "Araby." What is the importance of this title? What does
Arabyrepresent and how does it relate to the theme?(The following questions are
fromMaking LiteratureMatter Third Edition, ed. by Schilb andClifford):2. Why do the boy's
eyes burn with anguish and anger? Has he learned something aboutromantic love? Was he
in love with Mangen's sister? Give evidence.3. If this story is partly autobiographical, what

5. is Joyce's attitude toward his younger self? Areyou sympathetic or critical of your own
initiations into the complexities of relationships?4. Reread the first and last paragraph. In
what ways might they be connected?5. Find examples of religious imagery. What do you
think is its purpose?