Assignment Overview: This assignment invites you to engage with the literature we’ve explored in Units One, Two, or Three through a creative lens. Rather than a traditional analytical essay, you will produce a “creative” artifact that offers your unique interpretation of a chosen text. This project encourages you to think critically and express your understanding in innovative ways. Regardless of your chosen creative form, you will also write a substantial analytical essay that explains your creative choices and their connection to the source material.
Length: The nature of your creative artifact will vary depending on your chosen option. However, all projects must be accompanied by a 500-750 word analytical essay, formatted according to MLA guidelines (12-point appropriate font, double-spaced, with appropriate heading and citations if necessary).
Submission: Please submit your analytical essay electronically via Canvas. For physical “artifacts” (e.g., visual art, poster board), please arrange to submit them in person during my office hours or by prior arrangement. Digital artifacts (e.g., audio/video files, social media mockups) should be submitted electronically if feasible; if file sizes are an issue, please discuss alternative submission methods with me.
(Option 4)Literary Reimagining in Social Media and Analysis:
Chosen Author: Walt Whitman
- Task: Explore the possibilities of reimagining a piece of literature from this semester using a social media format. You may choose one of the following:
- Twitterature: Create a sequence of no more than 20 tweets (each adhering to Twitter’s character limit, including spaces and hashtags) that humorously rework key plot points, character interactions, or thematic elements of a chosen text for a contemporary audience.
- Facebook Profile and Posts: Design a fictional Facebook profile for an author or a significant character from a text. Include profile information, “friends,” liked groups, and a series of daily posts and activities that offer insight into their personality, motivations, or the events of the literary work. You may utilize online tools like Fakebook or create a visual representation using poster board or other media.
- Text Message Conversations: Craft a series of text message exchanges between specific characters from a chosen text. These conversations should reveal aspects of their relationships, advance the plot, or highlight key themes in a modern, concise format.
- Essay Focus: In your 500-750 word essay, analyze your new media interpretation. Explain your choices in adapting the literary work to the chosen social media platform. Discuss how the conventions and limitations of the medium (e.g., character limits, profile features, conversational style) influenced your interpretation and what aspects of the original text you aimed to emphasize or subvert through this reimagining.