Wilderness, Countryside and City

Write a paper of (minimum) 2000 – (maximum) 3000 paper on one of the following 5 topics.

1. Select two or more paintings or posters that were inspired by Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and discuss how they chooses to present the theme(s) of the play. Your paper should contain:

• A high quality reproduction of the paintings that will allow detailed scrutiny
• Biographical information on the painter(s)
• For each painting a description and analysis of the scene from the play the painter chose for his subject. Who are in it, what is its significance, etc.?
• A full analysis and interpretation of the painting(s), which should address questions such as:
• Why was this particular scene selected?
• To what extent is the painting / poster faithful to the play?
• How to explain & interpret possible changes that the painter / designer made?
• What is the nature of the city or forest scene portrayed?
• To what extent can each painting be related to the wider issues of the Pastoral and /or Urbanisation in the 19^th or 20^th century? To illustrate points one or two other paintings (not necessarily by the same artist) may be brought into the discussion, but only to highlight particular issues. However, your first choice of painting should remain the focal point of your paper.
• A compare and contrast discussion of the paintings selected: what are the most striking similarities and differences? Can these be related to the period(s) in which the paintings / posters were created?

2. Select three entries (one day each) from the Lewis & Clark Diaries [ http://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/index.html ] that illustrate different aspects of their dealing with life in the Wilderness. For example, the extracts could relate to their treatment of the native population, their attitude towards flora and fauna, their scientific work, the hazards of life in the wilderness, etc. Provide the full text of the entry, contextualise and (if necessary) annotate the extracts (this may require further research). Then add your own detailed analysis, provide biographical and historical background where relevant and make clear which aspect of life in the wilderness each extract illustrates and what it says (or suggests) about their attitude towards the wilderness. You could also relate the extracts to the Pioneer-picture that Walt Whitman presents in his ‘Pioneers! O Pioneers’ and / or Jackson Turner’s frontier theory.

3. Elizabeth Gaskell’s North and South is one of the ‘Condition of England’-novels. Select at least two passages from the novel, at least one urban scene and one rural scene, and analyse these extracts in detail. In doing so you could:

• Research the phenomenon ‘Condition of England’-novels and give a concise account of its characteristics. Acknowledge your sources.
• Relate the extracts to the general characteristics of the ‘Condition of England’-novels you listed.
• Compare and contrast the portrayal of city and countryside; what significant features are highlighted or emphasized? What is left out?
• Relate the extracts to the wider issues of 19^th century urbanisation and the Victorian ideas about the countryside.
• Does the novel illustrate Georg Simmel’s characterization of metropolitan life (in ‘The Metropolis and Mental Life’) in any way(s)?

4. Deborah Moggach’s Tulip Fever is a historical novel mainly set in 17^th century Amsterdam. Present an analysis of the novel. Some suggested topics:

• Research the status and reputation of Amsterdam in the 17^th century and give a concise account of your findings, including sources.
• Explore the portrait of the Dutch 17^th century city she presents in the novel: what significant features or themes are highlighted or emphasized and how? What significant elements are left out (and, if relevant, why)? Give illustrations from the text wherever possible.
• Discuss to what extent do modern ideas about the city inform the portrayal of Amsterdam in the novel? Give illustration(s) from the text.
• Discuss the function of the colour-reproductions that have been added to the book. How do they relate to the story?
• Explore to what extent the novel illustrates Georg Simmel’s characterization of metropolitan life (in ‘The Metropolis and Mental Life’).

Find one English or American poem that deals with urban life in the 19^th century and another that deals with urban life in the 20^th century. Write an essay in which you compare and contrast these poems. What do they say about urban life, are they positive / negative, which aspects of urban life do they focus on? Does either of the poems (or both) illustrate Georg Simmel’s characterization of metropolitan life (in ‘The Metropolis and Mental Life’) in any way(s)? Provide biographical and historical background information if relevant. Include the full text of both poems in an appendix (these should NOT be included in the word count). If you google a combination of: city / urban / poetry or poems you’ll find plenty of texts. You can add Victorian / American / 19^th or 20^th century to narrow down your search].