(M9-MAIN) 21st American and European Literature

MODULE # 9
21st CENTURY AMERICAN AND

EUROPEAN LITERATURE
SUBTOPIC#1
“Literature must be on analysis of experience and a synthesis of the findings into a unity.”
— Rebecca West
 To understand the development and development of
American and European literature;
 To be familiar with the different literatures of the world
 To show understanding of the different issues as depicted
by the literature of the world.
BlackConsciousnessfrom African Literature
Twenty-first-century African literature was born out of the region's years of history that has also shaped its identity and
culture. Historical events have influenced the themes, forms, and contexts of literary works in Africa today. Although its literary
legacy is not as extensive as those continents, African writers still astound the world with great literature, with many gaining
international recognition.
Like other literatures from the world, African literature had sprung from oral traditions in folk toles myths, epics, funeral dirges,
praise poems, and proverbs. The Mwindo epic – an oral tale from Congo and Sundiata, an epic identified with Malinka, a West
African ethnic group, are examples of oral historical epics that depict ancient African civilization. There were tribes, though,
with an existing writing system, like Ethiopia, which had written its earliest literary attempts in classical Ge'ez, an ancient
Ethiopic language.
AmericanandCanadian • deals with social issues (gender, freedom, human
Literature inthe rights, (in)tolerance)
contemporary age • chic literature, speculative fiction and Young Adult
literature are popular

• literatures mediated by the internet: fanfiction,
and wattpad
• Popularity of TV series (employing techniques
from literature)
Latin American
literature in the
contemporary age
• politics and the individual

• experimentations in form and content
•Popularization of the testimonio
TheLiterary Powerhouses from the North American
Region:United States of America and Canada
In the study of 21st-Century Literature from the World, it is necessary to demarcate the regions
geopolitically. This arranges and clusters the regions of the world that considers not only geographic but
also social, political, demographic, and economic factors. This is best illustrated in the case of North
American continent, which comprises the United States of America, Canada, and Mexico. Mexico, which is
part of the North American region, cannot be grouped with the North American countries when it comes to
its literature because Mexican literary writings are classified among the literatures of American Indian
civilizations conquered by the Spaniards. In language and form, the literature of Mexico does not rightfully
belong to North American literature. In this regard, what comprise.
North American literature are the literary outputs only from the United States of America and Canada. North
America has two literary powerhouses – the United States of America and Canada, which dominate a good chunk
of the world of the pen. Considering that their literatures are written in English – one of the world's most widely
used languages – there is a sure readership base, as there are 1.8 billion English users worldwide. It follows that
literatures written in English have a solid populace of readers because there are around 67 countries that speak and
read in English. This explains why the literature of the United States and Canada have continuously enjoyed
enormous patronage from different parts of the world. This accounts for the extensive scope of influence these
literatures continuously wield around the world.
It is in the literatures of North America, in particular the United States of America, that we often see innovative
breakthroughs in writing. The popular genres of the 21st century have been in existence for many years, but have
only resurfaced recently. Speculative fiction was first observed and coined by American fictionist Robert Heinlein
who helped raise the genre's standards of literary quality. The graphic novel was also formally introduced as a
comics genre by American cartoonist Will Eisner in 1964. The 1960s saw the golden age of young adult literature, in
particular young adult fiction, with the publication of the coming-of-age novel The Outsiders by Susan Eloise Hinton.
Another literary genre that is an American original is ―Chick Lit‖ – a fiction genre that tackles the issues of modern
womanhood. It combines the term chick, an American slang for woman, and lit for literature. These literary genres
did not only originate in the United States but have also been perfected in the very place they emerged.
Today, speculative fiction, young adult literature, and chick lit dominate the best-seller lists. y also
easily become movie hits when adapted to films. To name a few, Suzanne Collins's The Hunger
Games, John Green's The Fault in Our Stars, and Lauren Weisberger's The Devil Wears Prada are
among the popular paperbacks that have smashed the box office as well.
There is also an open acknowledgement that countries in North America have proven themselves leaders in the Age of
Information, especially in the exploration of digital technology in presenting literature in different realms. Eastgate Systems, a
publisher and software company in Massachusetts, is the pioneer in hypertext literature. Eastgate Systems facilitates the
online publication of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry through hypertext links – an interactive system in which text, graphics, and
pictures can be linked to each other through a network of nodes. Another digital breakthrough microblogging – was first
introduced by a student in Swarthmore College in Philadelphia. In 1994 Justin Hall started the first personal microblog when he
came up with an online diary that serves 96 personal journal made accessible for public reading or consumption. Compared to
a traditional blog, a microblog is different because its file size is smaller – consisted of not more than 200 characters on This
diary type commentary is more known as microposts or status updates which are sent online through a microblog service
provided by a social network.
Another development in electronic literature, which is also a US original, is fan fiction. A Los Angeles
computer programmer, Xing Li, created an automated fan fiction archive site in 1998, which to date has
2.2 million registered users who rework or alter the elements of original stories or a canon and post them
on the Internet.
Finally, there emerged Wattpad – the largest online community of readers and writers that serves as a
platform for authors to publish their work, receive reviews, and connect with fellow writers and readers.
This site was the result of collaboration between Canadian developers Allen Laue and Ivan Yuen. Since its
debut in 2006, Wattpad has steadily gained subscribers.
From the United States of America, Joyce Carol Oates and Alice Walker are chosen to represent the galaxy
of writers of the 21st century. Both are still alive and have careers that span the not- so-distant past and
the present, which attest to their reputation as enduring literary artists. More important, they have
witnessed and experienced how it is to live prior to and during the 21st century, which gives them the rare
privilege to trace the development of the literatures in the United States then and now.
Oates's short story, "Mastiff," presents a realistic portrayal of the human response to the fear of dogs and
how this trauma causes a woman to feel genuine emotion toward a man who saved her from the savage
attack of a beast.
Walker's essay, "The Glimpse of Life Beyond the Words: On Censorship and Freedom of Speech," explains
that one's liberation from the tyranny of others begins with one's acknowledgment that such oppression
exists.
On the other hand, Canada is represented by the internationally acclaimed fictionist Margaret Atwood.
Atwood's poem "The Door" has become a symbolic passageway to past and present where she confronts
the theme of age and mortality. Using an oblique narrative in which the persona speaks to herself, the
poem presents the seasons of life every time the door opens and closes.
Literature ParExcellence:
Prominent Writings in Europe
Literature flourished in Europe in the early Greco-Roman period. This was the time when
many literary pieces were born, majority of which have come down as classics still being studied and performed
today.
At the height of the Roman Empire, from 200 AD until the fifth century, a variety of literary forms emerged. Though
mostly modeled after Greek literature, they were distinctly Roman in nature, exhibiting order and discipline. Many
analysts would describe Classical Roman literature as rigid and contrived on grounds that it mimicked Greek glory,
only methodized and systematized. These characteristics, however, were precisely what triggered future changes in
literary explorations, especially those in the Medieval and Renaissance periods.
The Romantic period, an artistic and intellectual movement originating in Europe in the 1800s to
1850 partly in reaction to the French and American revolutions, the Napoleonic wars, and the
Industrial Revolution, gave rise to writers like Samuel Taylor Coleridge and William Words Coleridge
and Wordsworth collaborated on a famous collection of poems, Lyrical Ballads, which was the
banner literary work of England during the Romantic era. The collection espoused Romantic
principles as man's communion with nature, the use of the rustic setting or landscapes in writing,
and a return to the past, in particular, to the middle ages or medieval times.
From France emerged Jean Jacques Rousseau, the father of French Romanticism, who held that man was a
free-thinking being who must go back to his natural state and listen to his nature, instinct, and intuition. In
Germany, Romanticism favored art that focused on national culture, especially tales. Grimm's Fairy Tales of
Jacob Ludwig Carl Grimm and his brother Wilhelm Carl awakened German interest in their own past.
Romanticism also witnessed the emergence of female Romantic writers such as Germaine De Staël in
France, and Jane Austen and Mary Shelley in England. The contributions of these women writers would,
through time, drive the development of feminist thought.
Post-Romanticismto the21stCentury(1850-Present)
The wages of prosperity on the heels of the Industrial Revolution and the scientific and technological breakthroughs
fueled the conquest of foreign territories by European nation-states notably that of Great Britain. The post-
Romantic period coincided with the reign of Queen Victoria who brought the British Empire to its greatest heights.
As the most powerful nation in the world then. British literature wielded much influence in the development of
literature in the rest of Europe. And since the era was greatly identified with a powerful monarch, it became known
as Victorian Age, and its literary writings, Victorian literature.
Scientific discoveries left a deep impression on the literature of this age. The writings tended to come closer to daily
life, which reflected practical problems and interests, as well as various reform movements like emancipation, child
labor, women's rights, and equality. Victorian literature was also didactic: its poets, essayists, and novelists espoused
grand ideals like truth, justice, love, and brotherhood. Although the Victorian Age was known to have produced great
poets, it was also remarkable for the excellence of its prose, in particular, fiction. The novel was the leading form of
literature in many countries in Europe, which became the popular preoccupation in France and Russia.
In the 19th century until the early part of the 20th century, two prominent movements shaped and
defined the short stories and the novels produced in Europe, namely, realism and naturalism.
Realism as an approach in writing depicted life with fidelity and clarity. The Realistic novelist
captured life and rendered it as honestly as possible. Leading proponents of literary realism in
France were Honoré de Balzac, Stendhal also known as Marie-Henri Beyle, and Gustave Flaubert.
In Russia, realism was concretely manifested not in the novel but in the drama instead. The plays of Leo Tolstoy and Anton Chekhov developed a tradition
of psychological realism in Russian theater. Incidentally, these playwrights were also respectable fiction writers. In this league was the Norwegian
dramatist Henrik Ibsen, considered as the "Father of Modern Realistic Drama European literature
Realism, however, was the major catalyst for the emergence of another literary tendency –Naturalism, defined as "extreme realism." As a writer's vision
of life, Naturalism shared a pessimistic view of life, often leaning on to its dark side. As a technique, the writer vividly portrayed life with a "clinical eye,"
capturing every minute detail-a method that somehow obliterated the distinction between life and art. Often applied to fiction and drama, Naturalism
featured characters controlled by heredity and environment. This meant that they faced inescapable forces beyond their control, Émile Zola, a leading
French novelist, coined "naturalism" to refer to a work that showed the tendency.
Between 1914 and 1945, Europe and America were swept in the Modern era (Modernism), on the back of increasing industrialization and globalization,
new technology, and the horrifying events of two world wars. As a literary tendency, Modernism was a deliberate attempt to set aside the past ideals and
influences to allow writers a lot of leeway for technique experimentation. Four schools of thought emerged during the Modern era namely, Imagist,
Impressionistic-Symbolistic, Metaphysical, and Formalistic.
Many of the proponents of these literary schools came from different parts of Europe. Ezra Pound was a British-American poet who became the
touchtone for Imagism. The Impressionistic- Symbolistic were spurred by French poets such as Charles Pierre Baudelaire, Stephane Mallarme, Arthur
Rimbaud, and Paul Verlaine. Metaphysical poetry, popularized by the British John Donne in 17th century, was revived by the British-American T.S. Eliot in the
20th century. The impact of Formalism would be best viewed in the encompassing influence of the literary school in a country such as Russia in the first
two decades of the 20th century.
Since this literary movement arose as an aftermath of war and revolutions, the writers' vision had become
clouded with alienation and disillusionment. In the midst of commercialism and progress, they searched
for the meaning of their existence. A short list of some of famous Modernist writers from Europe and the
United States includes Samuel Beckett, James Joyce, Joseph Conrad, Eliot, William Faulkner, John Steinbeck,
E.E. Cummings, Sylvia Plath, F. Scott Fitzgerald, William Butler Yeats, Pound, Ernest Hemingway, Virginia
Woolf, D.H. Lawrence, and Gertrude Stein.
Postmodernism arose as a reaction to Modernism. Postmodernism in literature was distinctly marked by
such literary conventions as fragmentation, paradox, unreliable narrators, unrealistic and impossible plots,
parody, paranoia, and other unorthodox devices that seemed to destroy the meaning of work, if any at all.
All literary traditions were abandoned, such as work classifications, genres, and forms, as well as deriving
the literary merit of a work through analysis of form and content. (Fleming, 2015)
Aguila, A. A., Ariola, J., & Wigley, J. J. (2008). Philippine Literatures: texts, themes, approaches . Manila: UST Publishing
House.
Menoy, J. Z. (2016). 21st Century Literature from the Philippines and the World. Mandaluyong: Books Atbp. Publishing
Corp.
Sanchez, L. J., Agustin, R. T., Cuartero, J. M., & Lizada, M. A. (2016). 21st Century Literature from the Philippines and
the World. Quezon : Vibal Publishing House.
Urquiola, L., & Lacuata, M. J. (2017). Voices: 21st Century Literature from the Philippines and the World. Quezon City:
Abiva Publishing House, Inc.
Uychoco, M. T. (2016). 21st Century Literature from the Philippines and the World. Quezon: Rex Book Stre Inc.
SUB TOPIC # 2
“Poetry is an art that predates writing. It’s essentially an auditory art. A poet today
has the potential to speak directly to an audience—through public readings, radio
broadcasts, recordings, and the internet.“
— Dana Gioia
 Identify how imagery was used to convey the meaning of the text.
 Practice contextual appreciation by relating the story of the text with details from
the author‘s biography.
 Respond critically to the story and consequently articulate this response through
writing your own poem
Dana Gioia is the Poet Laureate of California.
For six years he served the nation as
Chairman of the National Endowment for the
Arts. His new book, 99 Poems: New & Selected,
has just been published by Graywolf Press.
Gioia‘s best poems are infused with his religious struggles, but 99 Poems also includes ample
evidence of Gioia‘s satirical skills.
Gioia‘s poetry is most essential when he is unhappiest. His namesake oldest son died four
months after being born, and a number of Gioia poems struggle with the issue of how a just
God allows such a loss. The prayer poem remembers his first son, Michael Jasper, whom Gioia
and his wife Mary lost in infancy.
Echo of the clocktower, footstep Seducer, healer, deity or thief,
in the alleyway, sweep I will see you soon enough—
of the wind sifting the leaves.
in the shadow of the rainfall,
Jeweller of the spiderweb, connoisseur in the brief violet darkening a sunset—
of autumn's opulence, blade of lightning
harvesting the sky. but until then I pray watch over him
as a mountain guards its covert ore
Keeper of the small gate, choreographer and the harsh falcon its flightless young.
of entrances and exits, midnight
whisper traveling the wires.
Grief, rage, and reconciliation led to the finest
Echo of the clocktower, footstep
religious poem of our era, one that I have seen in the alleyway, sweep
overwhelm an audience. of the wind sifting the leaves.
Jeweller of the spiderweb, connoisseur

―Prayer‖ adopts the rhythms of Christian of autumn’s opulence, blade of lightning
harvesting the sky.
prayer and the subtle changes within the
repetitions of a litany. It begins with a series Keeper of the small gate, choreographer
of entrances and exits, midnight
of descriptions of the manifestations of an whisper traveling the wires.
indescribable God.
Note how Gioia moves away from the security
of iambic meters—and the Latinity of his own
Roman Catholic tradition—in favor of the
more primal Anglo-Saxon techniques of two- Seducer, healer, deity or thief,
I will see you soon enough—
beat phrases, alliteration and assonance.
The poem then takes a ―turn‖ at approximately

the same place as the volta in a traditional
sonnet
Gioia continues the litany in the same rhythm, but
the effort to identify God turns bitter, particularly
with the closing epithet of ―thief.‖ Without telling us
directly, Gioia opens up the turbulence of his in the shadow of the rainfall,
internal struggle. in the brief violet darkening a sunset—
After that burst of rebellion, the poem‘s tone

softens again with two lyrical images that radically
qualify the seeming petulance of ―I will see you
soon enough‖.
He closes with a chillingly powerful but until then I pray watch over him
statement of faith that accepts the failure of as a mountain guards its covert ore
that faith to eliminate his continuing and the harsh falcon its flightless young.
heartache.
SUB TOPIC # 3
“Who are we if not the stories we pass down? What happens when there’s no one left
to tell those stories? To hear them? Who will ever know that I existed?”
— Carrie Ryan
 Understand the literary meanings in context and the use
of critical reading strategies.
 Recognize the formal features and conventions of
literature by reflecting on the tone, style, and manner of
the narration of the story.
 Respond critically to the story and consequently
articulate this response through writing a short
narrative.
CARRIE RYAN was born and raised in Greenville, South Carolina. In high school, she
played field hockey and soccer, competing for a year on a boys‘ team until the
school founded a team for girls. She enjoyed reading anything and everything, and
made her first attempt at writing (a short story).
She graduated from Duke University Law School and currently practices in the area
of estates and trusts.
After graduating from Williams, Ryan moved to Middleburg, Virginia, where she worked at the Foxcroft School, a school for
girls in grades nine through twelve. There she finished her first book and wrote a second. Still, Ryan continued to be
interested in writing, and eventually her fiancé persuaded her to write the kind of tale that she loved, full of action and
adventure—and zombies. The result was The Forest of Hands and Teeth, Ryan‘s first published novel.
Carrie Ryan now lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, and plans to continue writing novels set in the same or similar worlds
• "The Forest of Hands and Teeth" is a young adult novel by
Carrie Ryan, which involves the efforts of the teenaged
Mary and a handful of companions to escape the undead
Unconsecrated, which prowl the Forest of Hands and Teeth.
• To be precise, it falls under the category of Young Adult

Apocalyptic Zombie Love Story.
• It is part of a trilogy.
• Narrated using 1st person point-of-view

When the novel begins, Mary lives a simple life in the village that is enclosed by the
Forest, which is in turn, kept out by a fence. Guardians act as soldiers and also repair
the fence. Mary has grown up listening to stories of the ocean, told by her mother. A
few months before the novel begins, Mary's father went out into the Forest, never to
return. Mary now awaits one of two futures: either she will be married, or she will be
brought to the Sisterhood, a group that controls the village, its laws, and people. The
Sisterhood praise God for allowing their village to continue to thrive despite the
increasing number of Unconsecrated undead that roam the Forest. Mary's mother is
ultimately killed by the Unconsecrated while looking among them at the fence for her
disappeared husband. Mary's brother, Jed, is enraged by this, and sends her to the
Sisterhood. At the Sisterhood, Mary is proposed to by Harry, whose sister has
married Jed, and whose younger brother, Travis, is engaged to Mary's best friend,
Cassandra. But Mary is in love with Travis. Mary consents to Harry's proposal,
ultimately hoping she and Travis can find a way to be together.
However, the arrival of a stranger, an Outsider named Gabrielle, who is thrown to the Unconsecrated and
becomes one herself, paves the way for the breaching of the fences. Gabrielle's Unconsecrated form leads the
way, and Mary, Jed, his wife, Beth, and Travis, Harry, and Cassie escape the village, along with Mary's dog,
Argos, and a little boy named Jacob. Beth is later killed as she is infected. They head out into the woods, along
a path protected by fences. They come across the town from which Gabrielle had come, which has been overrun.
While escaping that village, Travis is killed helping the others escape. At last, they come to a gate which leads
out into the woods. From there, Mary makes a run for it, only to be chased by the Unconsecrated. Jed saves
Mary's life, only to disappear among the Unconsecrated. Mary falls into the water of a river, and when she
wakes up, a man is hacking off the heads of the undead. He explains that he lives in the lighthouse up the
shore, and his job is to kill the undead to keep them out of the nearby town. Mary realizes that she is at the
ocean.
A zombie is a fictional creature, a being not really alive but not
dead either, often referred to as ―the undead.‖ In most books and
movies, zombies are slow-moving monsters in various states of
mutilation or decay. They usually have only one goal—to attack
humans and thus create more zombies. True to the mythology of
these creatures, in The Forest of Hands and Teeth, author Carrie
Ryan places readers in a world in which zombies pursue people in
order to bite and infect them, thus turning them into fellow
zombies.
Although not real, the idea of zombies has some historical
basis. The voodoo cults of Haiti combined some Christian
rituals, West African religions, and magic brought to Haiti with
enslaved peoples. The voodoo cults believed in many kinds of
strange spirits, including corpses that can be brought back to
life. To them, a zombie (sometimes spelled zombi or zonbi) was
a being without a will of its own, always doing the bidding of
its master. The legend may have had its beginnings in rites in
which voodoo priests injected certain poisons into the skin of
people, who then suffered near-paralysis for several hours.
Zombies have been wildly popular in books and movies throughout the years. Night of the Living
Dead (1968) is probably the most famous zombie movie, from which many others have sprung. In
recent years, supernatural themes that include creatures such as vampires, mummies, and
zombies have become the rage again. Tense and exciting, these tales please audiences whether
or not they believe in creatures from beyond the grave.
One of the more thrilling elements of this kind of story is the possibility of spreading the evil
infection. In The Forest of Hands and Teeth, anyone who is bitten by a zombie soon becomes one.
The horror of becoming one of these beasts, or of having this happen to a loved one, provides
extra dread, because the person is doomed to wander the earth forever, neither truly alive nor
truly at rest
The story, set in the future, takes place sometime long after
an infectious organism has run wild in the world, turning
much of the population into zombies. The reality is—
zombies aside—that history has had some terrifying
nationwide, or even worldwide, infections that could not be
stopped. Such an infection is known as a pandemic. There
have been pandemics of the plague, cholera, influenza, and
other viruses—so the hint of real biology in the spread of
the zombie ―bug‖ just adds to the suspense.
An archetype is a repeated pattern that shows up often in literature. The Forest of Hands and Teeth is the
story of a quest, one of the most common kinds of stories told throughout time. Think of The Wizard of
Oz, King Arthur‘s legends, Star Wars, and other famous stories of people on a journey to find something or
to solve a problem.
One of the most common plots in literature is that of the
journey or quest. Think of stories you‘ve read in which the
main character, or protagonist, leaves home to go looking for
something. The search, or quest, can be for internal things,
such as personal meaning or acceptance, or external things,
such as treasure or a person. Often the journey is riddled with
dead ends, obstacles, and discoveries.
One of the most interesting elements of archetypal literature is characterization. Certain kinds of
characters commonly are part of the cast within the story. The following list is but a sampling of kinds of
characters. Read the description and then decide which, if any, character in The Forest of Hands and Teeth
represents that archetype. Then use this material to write an essay: ―Character Archetypes in The Forest
of Hands and Teeth.‖
• The hero/orphan/pilgrim: the main character who is abandoned or alone and must undertake the journey.
• The martyr: the one who puts others‘ needs and safety above his or her own and often gives sacrificially
often his or her life—to help further the cause.
• The innocent: the inexperienced person or child who needs protection and guidance in order to grow up
• The mother figure: the one who provides comfort, guidance, wisdom,
and help when needed; is sometimes too protective or controlling.
• The monster(s): the person, people, creatures, or force that is
threatening the others in the story and sets up the main conflict
• The warrior: the courageous one who is willing to fight and take on
directly the evil that threatens; is sometimes the same character as the
hero or martyr, but not always
The story depicts the uncertainties that comes with being confronted with the unknown. How the presence of the zombies (the
unknown) unbalanced the lives of the people and has changed their way of living.
Making living surrounded by a fence normal and common. The villagers did not question the existence of the fence nor
wonders who and how the fence was built. Just like many things in their lives, they had accepted as if it is normal.
The fence surrounding the village may be the only thing keeping them safe from the terrors lurking in the forest, but it also
imprisons them--effectively cutting them off from the rest of the world. Thus, making the very act of breaching it symbolic.
In many ways, the Forest of Hands and Teeth that surrounds these characters is a metaphor for growing up — choosing to
live within the established confines, safely; or bursting through the fences to chance at the unknown. While Mary will stop at
nothing to find her ocean after the fences are breached, her friends will not take that plunge. And it is this difference, this fire
in Mary that makes her such a wonderful, compelling heroine.
Bloom, Harold, ed. And Blake Hobby, ed. The Hero‘s Journey. Chelsea House Publishing, 2009.
(n.d.). Junior Library Guild. https://www.juniorlibraryguild.com/images/97809822
The forest of hands and teeth summary. (n.d.). www.BookRags.com. https://www.bookrags.com/studyguide-the-forest-of-hands-and-
teeth/#gsc.tab=0
Book review: The forest of hands and teeth by Carrie Ryan. (2009, March 20). The Book
Smugglers. https://www.thebooksmugglers.com/2009/03/book-review-the-forest-of-hands-and-teeth-by-carrie-ryan.html
Kenower, B. (2010, April 13). Carrie Ryan Interview [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/-6kQmcCXV20
Orion Publishing Group. (2019, May 29). The Forest of Hands and Teeth trailer [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/QdYaNLBkjKE
SUB TOPIC # 2
“Then the writing became so fluid that I sometimes felt as if I were writing for the sheer pleasure of
telling a story, which may be the human condition that most resembles levitation..”
— Gabriel Garcia Marquez
 Identify how stream of consciousness was
used in the text.
 Understand how magic realism works in the
story.
 Respond critically to the story and
consequently articulate this response
through writing a short reaction essay.
Gabriel García Márquez, (born March 6, 1927, Aracataca, Colombia—died April
17, 2014, Mexico City, Mexico), Colombian novelist and one of the greatest
writers of the 20th century, who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in
1982, mostly for his masterpiece Cien años de soledad (1967; One Hundred
Years of Solitude). He was the fourth Latin American to be so honoured, having
been preceded by Chilean poets Gabriela Mistral in 1945 and Pablo Neruda in
1971 and by Guatemalan novelist Miguel Ángel Asturias in 1967. With Jorge Luis
Borges, García Márquez is the best-known Latin American writer in history. In
addition to his masterly approach to the novel, he was a superb crafter of short
stories and an accomplished journalist. In both his shorter and longer fictions,
García Márquez achieved the rare feat of being accessible to the common reader
while satisfying the most demanding of sophisticated critics.
‗Eva Is Inside Her Cat‘ is one of the early works of renowned Latin
American writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez. The story examines the
search of a woman for a viable cat to which she can reincarnate
herself with. As readers move forward, they are able to recognize
the changes happening within the persona, the thought process and
memories that continued to influence brought forward the author‘s
use of elements that would later be significant in creating coherence
and highlighting the realization that her objective cannot be
possible. Equally, the story by Marquez also brings forward his use
of magical realism as a storytelling technique to readers. By
incorporating realistic elements at the beginning of the story and
blurring it in the middle as the character dwells with a non-physical
world, the author is able to convey this technique effectively and put
forward valuable themes and symbolisms.
Magic realism, chiefly Latin-American narrative strategy that is
characterized by the matter-of-fact inclusion of fantastic or mythical
elements into seemingly realistic fiction. Although this strategy is known in
the literature of many cultures in many ages, the term magic realism is a
relatively recent designation, first applied in the 1940s by Cuban novelist
Alejo Carpentier, who recognized this characteristic in much Latin-American
literature. Some scholars have posited that magic realism is a natural
outcome of postcolonial writing, which must make sense of at least two
separate realities—the reality of the conquerors as well as that of the
conquered. Prominent among the Latin-American magic realists are the
Colombian Gabriel García Márquez, the Brazilian Jorge Amado, the
Argentines Jorge Luis Borges and Julio Cortazar, and the Chilean Isabel
Allende.
Magical realism is one of the most unique literary movements of the last century. While most commonly associated
with Latin American authors, writers from all over the world have made big contributions to the genre..
Every magical realism novel is different, but there are certain things they all include, such as:
• Realistic setting. All magical realism novels take place in a setting in this world that‘s familiar to the reader.
• Magical elements. From talking objects to dead characters to telepathy, every magical realism story has
fantastical elements that do not occur in our world. However, they‘re presented as normal within the novel.
• Limited information. Magical realism authors deliberately leave the magic in their stories unexplained in order to
normalize it as much as possible and reinforce that it is part of everyday life.
• Critique. Authors often use magical realism to offer an implicit
critique of society, most notably politics and the elite. The genre
grew in popularity in parts of the world like Latin America that were
economically oppressed and exploited by Western countries. Magic
realist writers used the genre to express their distaste and critique
American Imperialism.
• Unique plot structure. Magical realism does not follow a typical
narrative arc with a clear beginning, middle, and end like other
literary genres. This makes for a more intense reading experience,
as the reader does not know when the plot will advance or when the
conflict will take place.
‗In literature, stream of consciousness is a method of narration that describes
happenings in the flow of thoughts in the minds of the characters.
The term was initially coined by psychologist William James in his research,
The Principles of Psychology. He writes:
―… it is nothing joined; it flows. A ‗river‘ or a ‗stream‘ is the metaphors by
which it is most naturally described. In talking of it hereafter, let‘s call it the
stream of thought, consciousness, or subjective life.‖
Another appropriate term for this device is ―interior monologue,‖ where the
individual thought processes of a character, associated to his or her actions,
are portrayed in the form of a monologue that addresses the character itself.
Therefore, it is different from the ―dramatic monologue‖ or ―soliloquy,‖ where
the speaker addresses the audience or the third person.
One significant theme highlighted by Garcia Marquez
in this story is the personas perception of beauty.
Arguably, readers are able to see the woman‘s
transformation and how it shifted from physical
attributes to an appreciation of the metaphysical.
Looking closely, the initial part of the story showcases
the protagonist feeling a bit uneasy about her
physical state and the probability that death is near.
As the narrator leaves her physical body, it can be seen
that she remains to be conscious offering readers
insights about her perception of the things around and
how she describes these in her bodiless state. Seeing
this, Garcia Marquez effectively utilizes storytelling to
effectively demonstrate the changes happening to the
speaker. It shows what the woman is thinking during the
last few moments in the natural world and the
realizations in the life after.
Another important lesson brought forward by Garcia Marquez in this
short story is the interaction of man to the metaphysical. Here, issues
related to the soul, spirit and alternate realities are discussed that puts
forward the perspective of the protagonist as far as existence is
considered. For her, the depiction of life goes beyond the physical world
and transcends towards an environment that is devoid of time. The
realization of the woman in the story demonstrates one that brings
together an understanding of a deeper sense where her spirit can
particularly be free of any form. This confusing, yet profound
explanation of the woman of how she sees the world is evident at the
end of the story.
Lastly, Garcia Marquez like many other Latin American writers also
utilizes the technique called magical realism. This specific literary style
remains to be evident in the story and is depicted by the woman‘s
interaction in the natural world and another realm which is beyond the
physical (Williams 3). Seeing this, magical realism is a literary approach
wherein magical elements are presented in the story. As the title
provides, there clearly is a sense of mystique in the attempt of the
protagonist to be reborn into a cat. It is through this objective and the
apparent realization of the speaker on what transpires at the latter
part of the story demonstrates the use of magical realism by Marquez
in the story.
Overall, Gabriel Garcia Marquez‘ ‗Eva is Insider her Cat‘ is a short story
that details the journey of a woman in the physical plane to the
afterlife. Though the ideas surrounding realities are blurred by Marquez
storytelling and writing style, the piece remains to be a wonderful and
thought provoking story that emphasizes the author‘s use of magical
realism and metaphorical elements. Equally, presenting themes related
to beauty and man‘s interaction with the metaphysical enable readers
to recognize the bizarre and ambiguity of message the story coveys to
readers and how altogether provides beauty to one of Garcia Marquez‘
early works.
Gabriel Garcia Marquez | Biography, books, Nobel prize, & facts. (n.d.). Encyclopedia
Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Gabriel-Garcia-Marquez
Marquez, Gabriel Garcia. ‗Eva is Inside Her Cat‘ Fiction EServer.org. n.d. Web. Accessed 2 June 20
The Reading Life. Eva is Inside Her Cat by Gabriel Garcia Marquez – Magical Realism in a Post-Colonial Short Story. 8
Jan. 2011. Web. Accessed 2 June 2020
Stream of consciousness. (2018, January 13). Literary Devices. https://literarydevices.net/stream-of-consciousness/
Williams, Raymond. A Companion to Gabriel Garcia Marquez. US: Boydell & Brewer. 2010. Print.
Magic realism | Definition, authors, & facts. (n.d.). Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/art/magic-
realism
SUB TOPIC # 5
“Once again, I arrived at my usual conclusion: one must educate oneself.”

— Marjane Satrapi
 Understand the literary meanings in context
and the use of critical reading strategies.
 Situate the text in the context of culture,
religion, and politics.
 Respond critically to the story and
consequently articulate this response
through a reaction video.
• Persepolis was originally published in 2000. It is an
autobiographical graphic novel.
• The book shows the author‘s childhood up to the period
when she attains adulthood and then marriage.
• The story is set in the Islamic Republic of Iran after the
Islamic Revolution.
• The title of the book refers to the ancient capital of the
Persian Empire, Persepolis.
• The book was originally published in French. It has been
translated into several languages including English.
Author Marjane Satrapi (who is also the narrator of Persepolis) gives a brief history of Iran, which was founded in the seventh
century BCE, destroyed shortly after, and then resurrected in the sixth century BCE. Iran, formerly known as Persia, was once a
wealthy country, which attracted invaders from around the world. Despite frequent invasions, the country retained its own
language and culture. That changed in the early 20th century, when monarch Reza Shah began embracing Western influences and
modernization. The discovery of oil in Iran followed, and Western countries quickly took an interest in the nation. That led to
years of political turmoil—the exile of Reza Shah, a coup against Prime Minister Mohammed Mossadeq, and the Iranian
Revolution of 1979, which culminated with the unseating of Reza Shah's son, Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi.
Satrapi notes the "fundamentalism, fanaticism, and terrorism" depicted in Western media is not representative of her native
country. She wrote Persepolis for those who died in the name of Iran, who "suffered ... repressive regimes," or who were forced
to flee their homeland.
Persepolis was the ancient capital of Persia, or modern-day
Iran. Demolished by Alexander the Great in 330 BCE, its ruins
are a reminder of the strength and longevity of Persian
culture despite numerous invasions and regime changes. By
using the name of the ancient city as the title for her
autobiographical graphic memoir, author Marjane Satrapi
draws a parallel between the destruction of the ancient
capital and the Iranian Revolution of 1979.
• Marjane Satrapi - Marjane Satrapi is an Iranian girl who comes of
age during the aftermath of the Islamic Revolution
• Opinionated, intelligent, independent, and rebellious, Marjane
Satrapi, born in 1969, is a child when the Iranian Revolution begins
in 1978. She daydreams about becoming a revolutionary like her
beloved Uncle Anoosh, and she eagerly reads everything she can
about her country's political situation. Education is a mainstay
throughout the rest of the precocious preteen's life—she is
constantly reading to learn more about the world and herself.
• Marjane Satrapi continuation:
As she grows older, she begins to question the methods and morals of Iran's Islamic
government, which always gets her in trouble at school but never at home. Taji and Ebi raise her
to ask questions and push back when she thinks something isn't right, and she does. Over the 16
years covered in Persepolis, Marjane matures and finds her own path in life, but she always
remains deeply devoted to her family and her country. She is proud to be Iranian, and she is
proud to be a member of her family. Though her travels take her far away, she always carries a
piece of home in her heart.
• Taji Satrapi - Taji Satrapi is Marjane's mother. She is a fashion
designer.
• Ebi Satrapi - Ebi Satrapi is Marjane's father. He is an engineer.
• Grandmother - Marjane's grandmother is opinionated, open-
minded, and loving. The mother of Taji, her deceased husband
was once a prince.
• Uncle Anoosh - Uncle Anoosh is Ebi's brother. A former political
prisoner with tales worthy of any storybook, he is young
Marjane's idol.
• Markus - Markus is Marjane's "first great love."
They date for two years and break up when Marjane
catches him cheating on her.
• Reza - Reza is Marjane's husband. They marry when
she is 21 and divorce when she is 24.
• Introduction
New Islamic law forces Marjane to wear a veil at school
• Rising Action
o The Satrapis' friends and family begin leaving Iran. o Marjane is kicked out of a
o Family friend Mohsen is murdered for being a communist. Catholic boarding house.
o Uncle Anoosh is arrested and executed. o Marjane walks in on her
o Marjane is nearly arrested for wearing Western clothing. boyfriend with another woman.
o A ballistic missile kills Marjane's neighbors. o Marjane lives on the streets for
o Marjane moves to Austria by herself. She is 14. three months.
• Climax
o Marjane returns to Tehran and her parents.
• Falling Action • Resolution

o Depressed, Marjane attempts suicide twice. o Marjane divorces Reza and moves to France.
o Marjane studies graphic design at university.
o Marjane and Reza marry.
The hijab, which is a veil worn by Muslim women, plays a large part in Marjane's adolescence and early adulthood. Many
devout Muslim women chose to wear the veil prior to the Islamic Revolution of 1979 as a symbol of their religious belief.
When the new Islamic regime came into power in 1980, the veil was suddenly mandatory for every woman venturing into
public. Marjane first wears a veil when she is 10. She and her friends aren't quite sure what to make of their new
accessories, but the more the wearing of the veil is enforced, the more Marjane begins to resent it. It is a constant
reminder of the Islamic government's ever-tightening grip over her life and the lives of those she loves. It symbolizes the
oppression she feels in her homeland under the Islamic Republic.
In "The Key," 14-year-old poverty-stricken schoolboys in Iran are given golden keys by the government as propaganda to
encourage them to join the army. Meant to be worn around the neck during battle, the keys supposedly open the gates to
heaven for fallen soldiers. Heaven is a glorious place full of riches, food, "houses made of gold," and virginal women. The
government's promises of martyrdom are just like the golden keys themselves: cheap plastic trinkets in a cosmetic
covering of gold paint—they are beautiful, aspirational, and fake. The keys make the boys feel special even though their
purpose in the war is to be another warm body on the field.
The clothing women wear in Iran during Marjane's 20s is very specific. In addition to the hijab, they must also wear a chador,
which is a long, flowing gown that hides the shape of the body. Meant to protect a woman's modesty and prevent men viewing
the outlines of her body, the garment offers little opportunity for expressing personal style. Women can wear what they want at
home, but deviations from the dress code in public can lead to arrest or physical punishment. That doesn't mean everyone
complies. Marjane and her classmates are known to add a bit of flair to their outfits—jewelry, nail polish, lipstick—as a little
jab at the repressive regulations. One day Marjane wears red socks underneath her gown. Maybe she did it on purpose, or
maybe she just forgot she was wearing them before she left the house. In any case, someone sees them, and she is arrested for
violating the dress code. Marjane's red socks symbolize the small, possibly subconscious acts of rebellion Marjane and her
friends engage in under the Islamic regime.
Marjane and her art school friends party a lot to let off steam from the pressures of schoolwork and the Islamic Republic. The
parties are often raided by the guardians of the Revolution. During one raid Marjane's friend Farzad falls to his death from the
top of an apartment building. Satrapi tells this part of the story entirely in pictures. As Farzad and the other men at the party
escape by jumping from one rooftop to the next, the crescent moon hangs low in the sky behind the tall buildings. In one frame
Farzad is seen reaching toward the moon as if he wants to grab hold of it. In the next frame he is falling to his death on the
street below. This tragic story is a metaphor for life within the Islamic Republic. The moon represents the desire for personal
freedom. Farzad, like many residents of the Islamic Republic, is so close to reaching it, but then he missteps and falls. Every
time the progressives think they're going to come out on top—as in the Iranian Revolution or the mujahideens' attempted
liberation of the country—the fundamentalists get the upper hand.
Since her story is about her life growing up in Iran, one can expect the story to be interpreted from a
feminist perspective. The male dominance in Iran becomes very apparent when Marji's mother explains to
her that Islam forbids the execution of virgins. Rather than kill a virgin girl for some transgression, she
would be married off to a member of the revolutionary guard. After the marriage is consummated, the girl
would then be executed. Such atrocities reveal how women are perceived and treated by men.
Although the Islamic Revolutionaries impose a dress code on both sexes, the veil for women is a
symbol of patriarchal dominance. Marji's mother falls victim to being caught without her veil. She endures
physical and verbal abuse and is told that ''women like me should be pushed up against a wall…and then
thrown in the garbage.'' Such an example demonstrates that women are not equal to men and are seen
more as property. To fight this inequality, the women protest the wearing of the veil.
Marji's mother teaches her daughter to fight against this perception of women as having less value
than men. She takes Marji to a demonstration against the wearing of the veil. She wants Marji to
understand that to earn equality in the eyes of men, she needs to fight for and defend these rights.
Throughout the graphic novel, there is a constant battle against patriarchal dominance, and this is why the
novel takes on a feminist analysis. The strength and resiliency of women against this dominance
emphasizes women's struggle for equality.
The symbol of the veil doesn't pertain exclusively to a feminist analysis. It fits within the context of Marxist
analysis as well, if one considers it through the lens of dialectical materialism. Essentially, dialectical materialism is
the development of a theory, confrontation through opposition to this theory, and then the evolution of a new
theory. All women in Iran are forced to wear the veil, which is the theory being developed. Marji doesn't want to, so
opposition is born that will develop into conflict.
Marji begins to wear her hair is such a manner that strands protruding from the veil, or it is loosely covered.
Her constant opposition develops into the development of a new theory or premise. Her teachers begin to rigorously
enforce the wearing of a veil. This only incites more opposition and disobedience on the part of Marji. Eventually, it
results in physical conflict, which one might associate with class conflict. This process of dialectical materialism
pertains to other aspects of the novel beside the veil. The continual political upheaval in Iran also falls under
dialectical materialism. As a result, Persepolis provides ample examples for a Marxist analysis.
The main purpose of Persepolis is to present Iran and its people in a way that dispels the notion that they are nothing
more than terrorists. This emphasis on identity, not just her own, but the culture and people of Iran falls under the analysis of
post-colonialism. The stories and experiences of Marji's neighbors, classmates, teachers, and relatives reveal who they are as
Iranians. These stories show how these people struggle and suffer as Iranians. There is no Western influence or domination
governing their lives.
Satrapi explores some of Iranian culture, which gains more emphasis as she approaches adulthood. While abroad, her
mother comes to visit. Marji describes how she misses ''the heavenly food of my country.'' Marji has fought to fit in with her
friends at the expense of her Iranian identity. When she remembers how her grandmother always told her to ''always keep
your dignity and be true to yourself,'' she understands what her grandmother meant. Marji is now able to proudly proclaim ''I
am Iranian and proud of it!'' Her cultural identity is realized.
Course Hero. (2017, September 20). Persepolis Study Guide. In Course Hero. Retrieved August 19, 2020, from
https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Persepolis/
Katekairies1. (2016, October 4). Persepolis background: Iran and Iranian Revolution [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/j6-ANCQiaWk
Movieweb. (2010, September 19). Persepolis Exclusive: Marjane Satrapi [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/v9onZpQix_w
Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi. (2015, November). The Flame By Unite Youth Dublin – Unite Youth Dublin Striking Back.
Retrieved August 19, 2020, from https://uniteyouthdublin.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/persepolis-1.pdf
StudiocanalUK. (2008, April 2). Persepolis UK Trailer Animation [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/NZ22VyjJ6n8

(M9-MAIN) 21st American and European Literature

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MODULE # 9

21st CENTURY AMERICAN AND

literature are popular

• politics and the individual

Jeweller of the spiderweb, connoisseur

The poem then takes a ―turn‖ at approximately

After that burst of rebellion, the poem‘s tone

• To be precise, it falls under the category of Young Adult

• Narrated using 1st person point-of-view

“Once again, I arrived at my usual conclusion: one must educate oneself.”

• Falling Action • Resolution

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