English 2F - Children's Lit
Response #4 - Life and Times of E.B. White

Purpose: To analyze how an author's life and historical context might illuminate the "meaning" of a text, to practice biographical and historical analysis on a piece of traditional fiction.

Directions: 

Note: The responses are intended to be a way for you to explore ideas that you might later wish to refine in a paper or a discussion.  I will not censor these responses in any way, nor will I grade them on content or grammar (though, like the seminars, they must be coherent and display some measure of critical thinking about the question at hand). You do not have to answer all the questions, nor do you have to confine yourself to these questions.  You can write as much as you want, as long as you meet the minimum length requirements for the assignment

1. Read Charlotte's Web by E.B. White, and module 5's historical and biographical resources.

2.  Write at least a page discussing your interpretation of the book. Some questions to consider: What do we know about White's life that shows up in the book?  What do we know about the time and place (America in the '50s)?  How does the historical context of that time and place affect the themes and ideas the author presents?  What do you think the author wanted his audience to take away from the book?  What values from that time and place are evident in the book? Does the author seem to uphold and reinforce those values, or does the author seem to protest against those values, or a combination of the two? 

3. Include at least two quotes from the book to back up your ideas.

4. Submit your response to the assignments chamber, either as an attachment, or a cut-and-paste.

5. Extra Credit Option: Post your response to the extra credit forums, "Response #4 - Life and Times of E.B. White".  You will receive extra credit if you post your response and respond to at least one other student's posting.

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