9A – For all our conversation about Realism and Naturalism, how can we understand the fancifulness and near romanticism of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Shows? Can we reconcile a growing readership’s/viewership’s appreciation of “reality” and attention to social inequities with the extreme social stereotypes used in the production of the “entertainment” of these shows? They were very popular in both the U.S. and on tours in Europe. Reflect on what the popularity of these shows might reveal to us about the paradoxes or tensions with U.S. culture circa 1900 in at least 200 – 250 words.

9B – In preparation for your primary sources assignment, brainstorm in part 9B of this journal what kinds of artifacts you would hope to discover in your research. What are you interested in finding? What sort of social, cultural, artistic, or historical questions would you like to find reflected in the primary sources in your search? Going into the assignment, what might be some research strategies or key words that would lead you in a good direction?

(Your response here will not lock you in to what you produce for the final primary sources assignment – research usually yields at least some unexpected surprises.)

8A – Select one of Stephen Crane’s poems included in the module and explain how it expresses a naturalist approach to writing and/or draws upon the philosophical perspective of determinism. Incorporate at least one direct quotation from the selected poem in a response of at least 200 – 250 words.

8B – How does Jack London steer the reader to favorably accept the protagonist’s choice in “South of the Slot?” What does this reveal potentially about London’s attitude toward social class in U.S. society at the turn of the century. Support your reasoning with at least one direct quotation from the short story in a response of at least 200 – 250 words.