Description

Write an essay (3-5 pages) in which you address the following prompt:

 

• Choose one of the short stories we have read (“The Story of an Hour,” “The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky,” “A New England Nun,” “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge,” “Good Country People”)

OR

one of the narrative poems (“The Ruined Cottage,” “The Death of the Hired Man,” “Out, out–,” “Mr. Flood’s Party,” “The Mill, “The Haystack in the Floods,” “My Sister’s Sleep,” “My Last Duchess”).

 

1. A) What do you think is the main theme/message/idea that the author is trying to explore in the story? What is the author trying to say about human life, psychology, or the universe?
2. B) How does the author carry this theme/message/idea across to the reader? In other words, how does the story “work” to convey the author’s message?

 

• State A) clearly as a thesis statement at the end of an introductory paragraph.
• You will need to break B) up into three body paragraphs. There are many ways you can do this, but each body paragraph must support your thesis by examining one aspect of how the story works (such as narrative style, symbolism, and characters, or three aspects of character like appearance, dialogue and overall function in the story).
• Include a brief conclusion that emphasizes your thesis, summarizes why you think your interpretation is accurate, and perhaps offers an evaluation of the story based on how successfully it accomplishes what (according to you) it sets out to do.

 

NOTE: You may assume your reader has already read the story/poem. Do not summarize except when absolutely necessary to support your analysis.

 

 

Get Homework Help Now