We're going to watch a classic movie from the late 1940s, entitled Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House. The film stars Myrna Loy and Cary Grant. I want you to pay particular attention to the imagery in this film, to the point of taking notes:
1. What is the image given of City Living?
2. How does this compare with the image of Country Living?
3. What are the elements of the "Dream" in this house?
4. What are the problems which come with homebuilding and homeownership?
5. Does the screenplay suggest that the problems are irrelevant in the larger scheme of things? If so, how?
I'd like you all to get a start on an ongoing semester-long project which we'll be doing. American Studies differentiates itself from American History partly on the basis of subject matter and partly on the basis of resources. American Studies tends to look farther afield for insights into the culture and its character, using a range of literary sources, artifacts, music, art, and popular culture of all sorts. By the end of the semester, each of you will be preparing an informal annotated bibliography on the topic Houses and Homes in American Culture. This will include at least:
1.One Novel
2.One Short Story
3.One Poem
4.One Essay
5.One Newspaper or Journal article
6.One Painting (high style)
7.One popular illustration
8.One piece of popular music
9.One Movie, Play, or Television Program
10.Other.....
In which American houses or homes are the focus. Illustrations or examples from our texts are not elligible.
One Novel
