Writing Assignments

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Writing Assignment 1--The Short Story

Choose one of the following stories and discuss the ways in which the author uses the elements of the story (plot, character, point of view, setting, tone, symbolism, and imagery) to help express the theme of the story.

• In the first paragraph, state the theme of the story.
• In the following paragraphs, show how the elements of the story help the writer express this theme.
  You don't need to discuss every element; choose the ones that seems most important to the story you've chosen.
• Be sure to support your statements with details, examples, and direct quotes from the story.
  You MUST quote directly from the story to support your ideas; papers with no direct quotes cannot receive a grade higher than C.
• Be sure to document correctly. Use correct MLA format and citation techniques in your essay and your Works Cited list.
• Required length: 2-5 pages (500-1250 words).

This assignment is due Friday, March 12.

• "The Secret Lion"
• "A Rose For Emily"
• "The Storm"
• A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings"
• "I Stand Here Ironing"
• "The Tell-Tale Heart"
• "Gryphon"
• "The Yellow Wallpaper"
• "Accident"
• "55 Miles to the Gas Pump"
• "This is What it Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona"
• "A Clean, Well-Lighted Place"
• "A Good Man is Hard to Find"
• "Kansas"
• "The Things They Carried"

For help writing this assignment, see the models in your book, go to Writing About Literature, or contact me.

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Writing Assignment 2--Poetry--Research Paper

Choose one of the following questions and write a complete, considered answer. Be sure to support your statements with evidence from the text, and be sure to document correctly. Use correct MLA format and citation techniques in your essay and your Works Cited list. Required length: 4-6 pages, or 1000-1500 words.

This assignment is due Friday, April 9.

1. Choose one poet. Discuss at least three of his or her poems in the context of his/her life and era. For example, if you choose to write about William Blake, you would write about the events of his life; you would also discuss the historical events happening during his life and explain how his poetry was influenced by those events, using lots of specific examples and quotes from both your research sources and the poems. You will probably need to narrow this down to a specific period of an author's life or a specific historical event that happened during his/her life. Some of Blake's poetry, for instance, was influenced by the French Revolution, but he wrote lots of poetry before and after the Revolution, so you might narrow your topic to the poetry Blake wrote during the French Revolution, and explain how this historical event affected his life and his poetry. (This is just an example: you may write about any poet you like.)

2. Choose several poems (at least three) by the same author: what consistencies of style and theme do you find? Do some research on the poet's work and see what the critics say about his or her styles and themes; do your analyses agree with theirs? Be sure to give specific examples and quotes from both your research sources and the poems to support your ideas.

You are not limited to poets we have discussed in class. You may choose any poet, whether his or her work appears in our book or not.

For help writing this assignment, see the models in your book, go to Writing About Literature, or contact me.

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Writing Assignment 3--Drama

Choose one of the following topics and write a complete, considered answer. Be sure to support your statements with evidence from the plays. Required length: 2-5 pages (500-1250 words). Use correct MLA format and citation techniques in your essay and your Works Cited list.

This assignment is due Friday, May 7.

1. In A Midsummer Night's Dream, what is Shakespeare saying about the nature of love? Is Strindberg saying the same things about love in The Stronger?

2. In A Streetcar Named Desire, the family is broken up. Is one person responsible for this? If not, how do the others contribute?

3. Compare Blanche, from A Streetcar Named Desire, to Catherine, from Proof. How are they similar or different?

4.A Midsummer Night's Dream addresses the theme of the difference between appearance and reality. Show how Shakespeare uses the elements of the play to help explore this topic.

5. Discuss the ways in which Proof addresses the issue of identity.

6. How are the themes of betrayal and trust addressed in Proof?

7. The subject of Proof--high-level mathematics--is one that most people find incomprehensible and boring. How does Auburn make the play interesting?

8. How does David Ives use humor in Words, Words Words to help emphasize the themes of the play?

9. Choose your own topic; clear it with me first.

For help writing this assignment, see the models in your book, go to Writing About Literature, or contact me.

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Final Exam

Directions:

• Answer one question from Part 1, and answer the question in Part 2. Be sure to do both parts!
• Part 1 is worth a possible 100 points. Part 2 is worth a possible 50 points. (Total possible points for Final Exam: 150.)
• Required length for Part 1: 2-5 pages (500-1250 words). Part 2 need only be a few paragraphs long.

This assignment is due Tuesday, June1.
NO LATE FINALS WILL BE ACCEPTED!!!

Part 1:

Choose one of the following topics and write a complete, considered answer. Be sure to support your statements with evidence from the novels. Required length: 2-5 pages (500-1250 words). Use correct MLA format and citation techniques in your essay and your Works Cited list.

1. Are The Secret Life of Bees and The Feast of Love saying similar or different things about the power of love?

2. Analyze Baxter's use of symbolism in The Feast of Love. Don't try to cover it all in this short paper. Narrow your discussion down to one set of symbols--the mirrors, for example, or the use of light and dark, or one of the other symbols in the novel.

3. In a great deal of contemporary literature, the underlying assumption is that there is no God and life is meaningless. Is this the case with The Secret Life of Bees and The Feast of Love? Explain.

4. In The Secret Life of Bees, how are the issues of responsibility and forgiveness explored?

5. Choose your own topic which relates to one or both of the novels we read. Be sure to clear it with me first.

Part 2:

Of the works we have read this semester, which have you liked the least? Why? Which have you liked the best? Why?

For help writing this assignment, see the models in your book, go to Writing About Literature, or contact me.

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How to submit your work

Your essays will be submitted to me via e-mail. Write your assignments in your word processing program. PLEASE SAVE YOUR FILE AS EITHER A WORD FILE OR AN RTF FILE. Then attach that file to your e-mail message. When sending assignments, your e-mail message should include your name, the class number (English 102), and the name of the assignment which is attached.

Use correct MLA format for the appearance of your essay and your documentation.

Eliminate spelling, grammar, and other mechanical errors from your writing.

Send your e-mail to me at annw708@earthlink.net.

NOTE: always keep copies of all of your assignments. If there is a problem with e-mail, you will need that copy to re-send for credit.