American Contemporary Period English 3 Honors

Unit Overview Flourishing of the American short story and development of the novel and dramas since WWII Southern Gothic Tensions within the emerging African American literary tradition Cultural shifts in the American landscape, exemplified in the words of leaders such as John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Ronald Regan, and Martin Luther King, Jr. Continuing theme of the American Dream

Unit Objectives Recognize the dynamic views represented in literary texts Trace the development of the Southern Gothic tradition in American literature Distinguish between the two distinct views within the African American literary tradition represented by Richard Wright and Ralph Ellison Explain how the Beat Generation challenged traditional forms and subjects in literature

Terminology of the Period Beatniks The Beat Generation Minimalism Nonlinear Narratives Parody Pastiche Postmodernism

Part One 1960s & 70s

Influences of the Time Censorship Race Riots & Civil Rights Assassinations Environmental Concerns Vietnam War River of Fire

Homework Find a political cartoon or piece of art from 1960s and 70s Explain how this piece of work represents the time period

Part Two 1980s-present

Influences of the Time Period Space Race Oil War Natural Disasters Technological Advances Terrorism Scandal Cold War

Homework Create a graphic to represent one of the events in American history from 1980 to the present See page 1161 for an example