For Wednesday, read “The Vine Leaf” by María Cristina Mena. Read it alongside the classic American Gothic short story, Nathaniel Hawthorn’s “The Birth-mark.” Write about it in the comments section below (before 11:59 on Tuesday). Try and respond to each other.
Consider the following: What connections can you draw between the two stories? What is the mood of Mena’s work? Do you think Mena had read Hawthorne’s story? How do the two speak to each other? What Gothic elements do you see in Mena’s story?
Don’t forget to Tweet.
Also, make sure you have a copy of Calligraphy of the Witch by Alicia Gaspar de Alba. The LMU bookstore is getting their shipment of the books in on Monday (they’re open, even though it’s a holiday). For Friday, January 24, read to the end of Book 1 of Calligraphy and through to the end of the book by Monday, January 27. Be sure you have a copy, digital or paper, to bring to class.
(Image credit: Genders Online Journal)