HUE UNIVERSITY
INFORMATICS AND OPEN INSTITUTE
AMERICAN LITERATURE 1&2
Part 1. Write a short professional bio data about your profession,
responsibilities, education, interests, and current work (no more than 200
words).
Part 2. Choose ONE of the following topics to write a research paper.
1. “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost has a universal theme for everyone.
Can you use your understanding of the theme to prove that? Have you ever
stood at a crossroads and hesitated to decide what road to take in your real
life? How?
2. Imagine standing in front of a crossroads, one of which is unexplored and very
new to you; meanwhile, the other is very familiar and safe. Which road do
you think you will choose to keep going? Can you explain your decision?
3. An optimistic spirit can help people live better and overcome obstacles in life.
How can you prove this opinion by analyzing the role of hope revealed in the
poem “Hope is the Thing with Feathers” and Rip’s ways of adapting to the
new life in “Rip Van Winkle”? How is the optimistic spirit important to your
positive thinking?
4. Love is full of sacrifice and helps people live meaningfully despite
difficulties. Do you agree with that opinion? Why or why not? Can you also
prove your understanding of the story “The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry and
“The Scarlet Letter” by Nathaniel Hawthorne?
5. What is the significance of the conflict between natural and supernatural
elements in highlighting the themes of “Rip Van Winkle”?
6. Write the end of the story Rip Van Winkle in your imagination, describing
how Rip kept living in a new village with the unknown villagers and social
changes.
7. What are the similarities and differences between imagery and symbolism as
literary devices? Use “I Heard a Fly Buzz When I Died” by Emily Dickinson
to illustrate your viewpoint.
8. “Darkness on the roof” and “Footprints on the sea sand” are images referring
to the passage of time. What do these images suggest that has happened to the
traveler in the poem The Tide Rises, the Tide Falls?
9. Have you ever had a dream in which you were living in a strange society?
Imagine how you would cope with strange people and circumstances.
10. In the satirical essay titled “Advice to Youth,” what exactly is the advice that
Twain offers to the younger generation?
11. How is love shown in the story The Gift of the Magi? Do you think that love
is selfless? Today, many marriages are based on materialistic factors. Do you
think couples will have happy lives forever?
12. Discuss the relationship between history and fiction in The Last of the
Mohicans. How do historical events relate to the literary genres that classify
Cooper’s novel?
Note: The assignment paper should:
• Be from 3-5 pages in length (without the bibliography)
• Use the Times New Roman font, size 13
• Be in 1.5 line spacing
