Ann Beattie, Raymond Carver, and Bobbie Ann Mason are often classified as "K-Mart realists." Read several stories by each writer and a few definitions of realism. Do you think the label "K-mart realist" fits each of these writers? Why or why not?

Ann Beattie is often called a "minimalist." Find a definition of minimalism and read it carefully. Does the description fit Beattie's work? How is minimalism expressed in art and architecture, as well as literature? Collect pictures of minimalist art and home interiors to illustrate your answers.

Freudian literary criticism often studies the use of phallic symbols in literature. Read a brief description of Freudian criticism and a definition of phallic symbols. What are some ways that a Freudian critic might "read" the bowl in the story?

Janus is an allusion to a mythological character. Using a classical dictionary and/or...