Choose one of the themes discussed in the fiction section and write a poem or a short story that explores that theme in a different way.

Read Stephen Crane’s The Red Badge of Courage and prepare a PowerPoint presentation comparing and contrasting each main character’s view on the social and political aspects of the war and their participation in it.

Read Shelby Foote’s The Civil War: A Narrative and/or watch Ken Burns PBS mini-series on the Civil War and conduct imaginary interviews with some of the people presented in the book/film on their experiences during the war.

Watch the film version of the novel. In what ways does the film follow correctly the novel? Does the film have the same thematic focus as the novel? Are the characterizations similar? Note the scenes in the film that have been altered or added and think about why those changes might have been made. Write an essay that compares and contrasts the book and the film.