Topics for Essay #2

REVISED FOR THE SAKE OF CLARITY.  Choose one of the following for your research essay (please refer to the information on the handout for additional information on research):

1. The antagonist is the force (whether internal or external) which creates a struggle with the protagonist in a work of fiction. In Flannery O'Connor's stories, however, the struggle between the antagonist and protagonist often leaves the protagonist with an internal struggle over long-held beliefs, whether spiritual or philosophical. Discuss how Manley Pointer and Mary Grace (both antagonists) function to "enlighten" the protagonist in "Good Country People" and "Revelation" and in the irony associated or connected to each antagonist and the resulting struggle within the protagonist.

2. Discuss O'Connor's use of violence as well as the grotesque and/or bizarre in "Good Country People" and "Revelation." What purpose does the violence serve in the story? What elements of the grotesque or bizzare has O'Connor included in each story? Why?

3.  Discuss the importance of telling stories to a listening audience to Harold Krebs in "Soldier's Home," and Rat Kiley and Tim O'Brien in "How to Tell a True War Story."  Why is storytelling important to both the soldier and the listener?

Reading, Thinking and EVENTUAL Writing

                                    Brainstorming & Discussion over two stories by Flannery O"Connor 

STORY	Setting – often a rural, Southern setting – consider what may be associated with this setting	Theme of Redemption – a character who is in need of discovering his/her own flaws; a character serves as a catalyst	Use of IRONY to reveal characters—everything from names to circumstance to beliefs (include the title)	The protagonists (and antagonists) are grotesque but also comic figures; “extreme and abnormal”
“Good Country People”
“Revelation”

Imagine a writing assignment that asks you to compare and contrast two stories--OR imagine an assignment that requires you to compare and contrast two characters from two different stories OR compare and contrast the same theme in two different story.  PRELIMINARY work has to be done before one can hope to compose an essay.

1.        Determine the stories that will be examined; in this case, two stories by Flannery O’Connor: “Good Country People” and “Revelation”

2.        List the points of comparison--these are listed at the top of the chart—these two stories contain each of the points indicated

3.       Give examples from each story that illustrates the “point” or characteristic; specific examples from each story are absolutely vital; details must be specific; page numbers need to be noted; situations from each story need to be explained.

NOW . . . imagine you were asked to compare two stories from two different authors—Hemingway and O’Brien, as an example. YOU would need to find points of comparison AND contrast. 

Class Will NOT Meet Monday, 09.16.2013

Class will not meet on Monday, Sept. 16, 2013. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Please be ready to discuss the two stories by O'Connor on Wednesday.

Recap and Reminders for Upcoming work:

Quiz: Week of the 23^{rd -} 

• elements of fiction
• "Popular Mechanics"
• "The Flowers"

Essay #2 – Week of the 30^th

         

 The second essay will  be a comparison/contrast of two stories and require internal citations and a works cited page. The essay will be over  either:

          “Soldier’s Home” and “How to Tell a True War Story”

Or

“Good Country People” and “Revelation” – O’Connor

* * * * * *

"Soldier's Home" & "How to Tell a True War Story"

Krebs & Kiley -

Narrator [specifically par. 76] & Narrator – near end of story

Mother – sister/woman @ end of story

Need to talk – Need to tell stories

Question to be answered about both stories:

How can fiction sometimes contain more truth than facts?

Topics - Essay #1

Below are the topics for today's in-class essay. Read them carefully before making your choice. They are very similar to the examples given to you last week, with slight alterations.

On the top left of the first page, on the first line of your paper, be sure to place the following:

Your name
Mrs. Sharon Aiken
English 1102
September 4, 2013

Number each page, consecutively, on the top right side of each page.

Be sure to title your essay

Choose one of the following topics:

Setting is an important literary element, often over-looked, though directly related to the characters and plot of a story. In what way does setting play a significant role in either the action of William Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily" and Andre Dubus's "Killings" OR in the development of the protagonist in the respective story.

Characters are often revealed by direct characterization (telling), but more often by indirect characterization (showing)--by allowing the reader to see the character in action, to see how other characters respond to him or her, or to give us the thoughts of the character, without commentary, allowing the reader to judge the character for himself.  Provided examples of indirect characterization from both  William Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily" and Andre Dubus's "Killings" that allow the reader to see the protagonist more clearly.

In many simplistic stories, characters have little depth; the main character is either "good" or "bad" and his/her actions make it easy for the reader to either like or dislike  him. However, in both William Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily" and Andre Dubus's "Killings," the protagonist is a murderer, yet the reader has a difficult time disliking Miss Emily or Matt Fowler. How does each author succeed in making his protagonist sympathetic to the reader?

Symbols are important to many stories, often used to emphasize another element of the story, including character. Explain how Faulkner uses Miss Emily Grierson's house as a symbol for its occupant and how Andre Dubus uses eyes in his revelation of character in "Killings."

Literary Terms