"The Looking Glass” by Anton Chekhov

The last reading assignment for the semester is Anton Chekhov's "The Looking Glass.” Chekov's short piece tell the story of Nellie, a young girl, who looks into a mirror and sees her future, which involves a desperate, hopeless attempt to save her husband from typhus. The story shows the battle between a young girl who believes in the power of love even while coming up against the harsh realities of life — the surprise ending shows how quickly those realities can be forgotten. 

Comments are due by Thursday, November 27th.

"The Looking Glass" by Anton Chekov

“The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin

Here is your fourth reading assignment: “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin. Chopin is a well-known 19th century southern writer, who took on feminist themes in her novel The Awakening. In this smart, moving and much shorter piece, Chopin examines how marriage, no matter how loving, can still become a prison for women. 

The comments are due by Tuesday, november 18th.

"The Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin  

“Adams” by George Saunders

The third reading is called “Adams” by George Saunders. The king of writing unreliable narrators, it takes Saunders less than two pages in this story to make his readers question their own sanity. Following the story of an overprotective father desperate to guard his kids from his neighbor, Saunders blurs lines so expertly that you don't know who is the greater risk — the outside threat or your own fear.

Comments are due by Thursday, November 13th.

"Adams" by George Saunders   

'Eleven' by Sandra Cisneros

The second piece is entitled 'Eleven' written by Sandra Cisneros. Cisneros captures what it means to be a kid and the overwhelming embarrassment that accompanies childhood. This story about an 11-year-old's birthday manages to perfectly encapsulate what it feels like to be that age and how that feeling never quite leaves you. As Cisneros writes, "The way you grow old is kind of like an onion or like the rings inside a tree trunk." You may add experiences, but you still keep the child within. 

Comments are due by November 11th.


"Eleven" by Sandra Cineros

Reading Assignments for Essay 4 - How to Deal with the Recent Surge of Migrant Children into the US?

Length: 1500 words minimum (please include a word count at the end of your paper)

Assignment

President Obama is asking Congress for emergency funding as the number of unaccompanied minors crossing the U.S.-Mexico border has been rising at an alarming rate. Fleeing poverty and gang violence, motivated in part by rumors that they will gain legal status but now trapped in a legal limbo, many of the young migrants are making the dangerous journey from Central America. What can be done to stem the surge of children illegally crossing into the U.S.? And how does this crisis fit into the larger debate for comprehensive immigration reform?

For this assignment you will have to first outline the controversy in the public debate about the status and future of the migrant children. Please make sure that you explain ALL sides of the argument trying to understand what stand at the core of the opposition between various views. Then present your own stand in the debate using strong and compelling evidence. Finally, in your conclusion, try to suggest some kind of solution to the problem based on your argumentation.


Here is the link to your assigned reading for this essay:

“How To Stop the Surge of Migrant Children,” ROOM FOR DEBATE, The New York Times Online, July 8 2014