Professor McNeil
English 202 "Intro
to English Studies"
Spring Semester 2008 |
Due: beginning of class:
February 21
|
Summary Response Assignment: "Reading
the Victorian Age"
In this special summary response, please refer to
the two Victorian paintings in your packet. Both of these paintings
depict a man and a woman and tell a "story" about their relationship.
In doing so they reveal a glimpse of Victorian attitudes about gender
relations. You are to interpret or "summarize" what you think
are possible meanings of both paintings, without resort to any outside
information on the paintings.
Some suggestions:
-
What is the relationship between the man and woman
in each painting? (brother and sister? married? divorced?)
-
What is the "action" depicted in each painting?
What has just happened or will happen? How do both figures in the
painting interact? What does their body language suggest?
-
What do specific details in the paintings signify?
(e.g., the letter in the man's hand in picture 1, the cat under the table
in picture 2, the fact that the woman in picture 2 is looking out the window)
Summarize both pictures as best you can. Since
you are not expected to know anything about Victorian art or these specific
works, there really is no "wrong" interpretation, but as in all summaries,
the clearer and more organized your points, the better.
This Summary Response paper should be at least
1 typed, double-spaced page (about 350 words).