Pen Names in Literature - Source 1, Exercises of Literature

Download Pen Names in Literature - Source 1 and more Exercises Literature in PDF only on Docsity! Go OnPage 4 FSA ELA Writing Practice Test Read the “Pen Names in Literature” passage set. Pen Names in Literature Source 1: What’s in a Name? by E. Bennet Names are useful. Sometimes they’re even more useful when they’re fake—especially if you’re a writer. Pen names, aliases, or pseudonyms—as they’re variously called—allow authors freedom, flexibility, and opportunity. Eric Blair, author of Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four, adopted the name George Orwell because he feared his early work would embarrass his family. C. S. Lewis, concerned about his status as a professor at Oxford, used the name Clive Hamilton to publish a collection of poems. Charles Dodgson, a noted mathematician, used the name Lewis Carroll to write fantasy works such as Alice in Wonderland. For many writers, turning to a pen name is the only way to get published. When a local newspaper refused him publication, sixteen- year-old Benjamin Franklin started writing letters to the editor under the persona of the middle-aged widow Silence Dogood. Likewise, many female authors have had to conceal their gender in order to overcome discrimination and get publishers to take them seriously. The Brontë sisters (Charlotte, Emily, and Anne) wrote poetry and novels under male pseudonyms. Charlotte wrote under the name of Currer Bell, while Emily and Anne used the names Ellis and Acton Bell. Even today some authors adopt a pen name in order to stem biases and preconceived notions. Perhaps the best-known example of this is J. K. Rowling. Rowling’s publishers feared that young boys—the presumed audience of the Harry Potter series—wouldn’t take the book seriously if they knew it was written by a woman. So Joanne Rowling became J. K. Rowling. In hindsight, though, the change was hardly necessary. Rowling’s books enjoyed unprecedented success, gaining millions of fans among boys and girls of all ages, and adults as well. In fact, Rowling became so famous that she later turned to another pen name, Robert Galbraith, in order to write detective novels. For Rowling, a new pen name meant a fresh start and a chance to explore a new genre without the pressure of her Harry Potter fame. When 1 2 3 4 Go OnPage 5 FSA ELA Writing Practice Test asked why she chose a new pen name, Rowling responded, “I was yearning to go back to the beginning of a writing career in this new genre, to work without hype or expectation and to receive totally unvarnished feedback. It was a fantastic experience and I only wish it could have gone on a little longer than it did.” Susan Eloise Hinton, who is famous for young-adult novels, is another author who adapted her name. S. E. Hinton’s first book, The Outsiders, includes a male narrator. As with J. K. Rowling, Hinton’s publisher thought it would be a good idea to use a pen name; if readers associated the narrator of the story with a male author, it would make the story seem more believable. Hinton herself appreciates having the alter ego of a teenage boy. She believes that it helps her separate her writer self from her true self, and it creates a persona as rich as a character in her novels. “What’s in a Name?” by E. Bennet. Written for educational purposes. Source 2: Introducing Jane Eyre: An Unlikely Victorian Heroine by National Endowment for the Humanities When Charlotte Brontë set out to write the novel Jane Eyre, she was determined to create a main character who challenged the notion of the ideal Victorian woman, or as Brontë was once quoted: “a heroine as plain and as small as myself (Gaskell, Chapter XV).” Brontë’s determination to portray a plain yet passionate young woman who defied the stereotype of the docile and domestic Victorian feminine ideal most likely developed from her own dissatisfaction with domestic duties and a Victorian culture that discouraged women from having literary aspirations. There were many expectations and limitations placed on Victorian women. Considering Brontë’s position and her desire for literary achievement given that context, we are able to see why she felt compelled to write Jane Eyre and to publish it under a male pen name, Currer Bell. During an era in which etiquette guides circulated freely, empire waists1 gave way to tiny-waisted corsets, and tea parties grew in 5 6 7 1empire waists: a style of dress fitting just below the bust, leaving the waist and hips undefined, that became fashionable in the early 19th century. Go OnPage 8 FSA ELA Writing Practice Test released as a Stephen King book, it sold more than ten times the Bachman version. King chose his pseudonym very carefully, even though he was pressed by his publisher to quickly come up with a name. He thought about calling himself Gus Pillsbury, as a tribute to his maternal grandfather with that name. Ultimately, though, he settled on a combination. Richard Stark, a pseudonym used by the crime writer Donald E. Westlake, was the inspiration for the first half of his nom de plume. Bachman, the second half of King’s pen name, came from the music he was listening to at the time, by a band called Bachman-Turner Overdrive. In an effort to establish Richard Bachman as an author in his own right, King created a detailed backstory about Bachman that included a fictional wife, a former position with the Coast Guard, and the operation of a dairy farm in New Hampshire. Bachman’s true identity was revealed in 1985; a Washington, D.C., bookstore owner noticed that the writing styles of the two authors seemed similar. He used his detective skills to look at publishing records kept at the Library of Congress. Even though King was exposed as the real Richard Bachman, it did not stop him from continuing to write using the Bachman pseudonym, though his success as Stephen King meant that—by that time—publishers would likely allow him to publish more than one book per year, without needing a pseudonym at all. As King’s and Bachman’s writing careers continued to evolve, Bachman’s role as King’s alter ego has also evolved. King has referenced Bachman in his own stories, as well as Bachman’s fictional wife, to create a fan base invested in the author’s work, regardless of whether the work has “Richard Bachman” or “Stephen King” on the spine.  “Who is Richard Bachman?” by J. L. Campbell. Written for educational purposes. 1021 14 15 Go OnPage 9 FSA ELA Writing Practice Test Writing Prompt Your town’s public library is hosting an exhibit on pen names throughout history. You have been asked to write an informational article for the exhibit’s display explaining why some authors choose to use pen names. Your essay should be based on the ideas and concepts found in the “Pen Names in Literature” passage set. Manage your time carefully so that you can • read the passages; • plan your response; • write your response; and • revise and edit your response. Be sure to • use evidence from multiple sources; and • avoid overly relying on one source. Your response should be in the form of a multiparagraph essay. Write your response in the space provided. 15072