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Based on the book by Martha Menchaca, “Recovering History, Constructing Race,” define who can be called a real Mestizo. Who writes history? What views are typically found in American History Textbooks? What is often excluded in the writing of history and Why? What is the role of historical trauma throughout...
Analyze the father-son relationships in the book “Night” by Elie Wiesel. Define what this bond means or doesn’t mean. How would you describe the relationship between fathers and sons? Why is the relationship between father and son so important? Cite at least two specific examples from the text and explain...
Shirly Jackson’s “The Lottery” illustrates that blindly conforming to traditions and rituals is dangerous. Discuss the statement. What warning does Jackson give readers about the dangers of tradition? Do not retell the story; organize your essay by the idea, not by the order of events in the story. Cite evidence...
Provide images to accompany the short story “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell. Discuss your reasons (both rhetorical and aesthetic) for selecting images. Provide a narrative context for images by explaining how they highlight the aspects of the story setting. Analyze how the story’s image impacts or contributes to...
Analyze the graphic novel ‘Ghost Town’ by Daniel Clowes. Choose two exerts from this novel. Work out the author’s ‘big’ purpose and keep referring to this and how it is backed up by your chosen aspects within your answers. Respond critically and perceptively to significant aspects of the visual text...
Analyze the qualities of men and women as they are presented in the poem “The Odyssey” by Homer. Homer goes to great lengths to detail the social, religious, and cultural values of the ancient Greeks and how their world defined the exemplary man and exemplary woman. He accomplishes this through...
Provide a literary commentary on a fragment of “Eveline” from Dubliners 1914 by James Joyce. She felt her cheek pale and cold, and out of a maze of distress, she prayed to God to direct her, to show her what her duty was. The boat blew a long mournful whistle...
Conduct a literary analysis of the short stories “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien. The analysis should focus on a particular literary device or criticism to convey your argument. For example, if you are analyzing the setting in “The Things They Carried,” then it should be reflected in the...
Compare and contrast the two stories: James Baldwin’s “Sonny’s Blues” and Alice Walker’s “Everyday Use.” Compare the structure, setting, and point of view of the two stories. While the stories “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin and “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker depict different sibling histories and conflicts, both of them...
You’re stuck in an elevator with one of the characters from “The Lion,” “The Witch,” and the “Wardrobe” who is it? In the time you’re in the elevator together, what would you like to accomplish? (e.g., network with Maugrim, head of the Narnia secret police, in the hopes of getting...
Create a short biography of Langston Hughes. Include the poet’s historical period but be selective and include history that pertains in some way to the poet; introduce your research poet by name in the last sentence. In creating a biography, consider the poet’s personal life, professional life, influences, major works,...
Analyze how literature presents important, historical, or potentially controversial topics. You may analyze in-depth the way one specific piece approaches a difficult or sensitive topic and which rhetorical appeals it uses to convey its message. You may choose to compare/contrast the way two different pieces tackle the topic (whether on...
Choose one element of ancient Greek culture presented in “The Odyssey” by Homer and contrast it with your culture. As an aid to interpretation, we are examining the world behind the text, the world within the text, and the world in front of the text. This topic asks you to...
Discover and discuss a short story, “Badeye,” by Ron Rush, including the use of elements such as theme, characterization, irony, metaphor, and symbolism. You will conduct a close reading of the short story “Badeye” by Ron Rush and discuss the author’s use of these devices in his or her structuring...
Analyze the opposition of beautiful versus ugly in the novel Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein.” You’re going to argue that Victor from Mary Shelley’s novel “Frankenstein” and his creature seems very different at the beginning but become increasingly similar as the plot proceeds. Therefore, you need to identify “beautiful versus ugly” 2-4...
Discuss the book “Santa Anna of Mexico” by Will Fowler. Briefly describe the book. Which Latin American country (or countries) does it primarily deal with? What is the book’s main argument or biggest idea? What do you hope to learn about this topic or issue? Why did you choose a...
Compare the writings of Emily Dickinson and Charlotte Perkins Gilman. How did the writings of Emily Dickinson and Charlotte Perkins Gilman challenge the restrictive roles assigned to women in 19th-century America? What writing techniques allowed them to avoid certain traps? How do they influence your own vision of art or...
Concentrating on the story “Du Tenth Sinks the Jewelry Box in Anger” by Feng Meng-long, consider the relationship between appearances and reality. In answering this question, you might want to consider the following: What is the difference between how things seem and how they actually are? How are appearances used...
At the end of the story “The Sunflower: On the Possibilities and Limits of Forgiveness,” Wiesenthal asks his reading audience, “What would you have done?” Answer this question. Simon Wiesenthal recounts his time as a prisoner in a concentration camp. He described the living conditions there and a particular incident...
Discuss the essay “Mother Tongue” by Amy Tan. Which narrative point of view is used in this literary work? Why do you think the author chose the point of view they chose? Who is the intended audience? How is that significant? What are your personal impressions from what you’ve read?
Discuss the short story “The Devil’s Treasure” by Mary Gaitskill. Which narrative point of view is used in this literary work? Why do you think the author chose the point of view they chose? Who is the intended audience? How is that significant? What are your personal impressions from what...
Discuss the short story “Only Daughter” by Sandra Cisneros. Which narrative point of view is used in this literary work? Why do you think the author chose the point of view they chose? Who is the intended audience? How is that significant? What are your personal impressions from what you’ve...
Discuss the poem “Under the Viaduct” (1932) by Rita Dove. Which narrative point of view is used in this literary work? Why do you think the author chose the point of view they chose? Who is the intended audience? How is that significant? What are your personal impressions from what...
Discuss the poem “Everybody in General” by Joshua Escobar. Which narrative point of view is used in this literary work? Why do you think the author chose the point of view they chose? Who is the intended audience? How is that significant? What are your personal impressions from what you’ve...
Provide your response to “Sonnet 73” by Shakespeare regarding the poem’s issues. What can you deduce from this poem about the speaker and his frame of mind? Someone once said, “Youth is wasted on the young.” How might that witticism be applied to this poem? Why should a student whose...
Provide your response to “Sonnet 73” by Shakespeare regarding the poem’s strategies. The entire poem is organized around three analogies. State them in three succinct sentences. The three images in the poem are presented in a particular order. Do you see any reason for this order? In lines 3 and...
Provide your response to “Sonnet 73” by Shakespeare regarding the poem’s facts. What image does the poet focus on in the first quatrain? What relationship does this image have to the speaker? The speaker shifts to another image in the second quatrain. What is it, and what relationship does it...
Analyze Hell as presented in the poem “The Inferno” by Dante. Does the Inferno suggest that people suffer in Hell because they are victims of cruel fate, or does it suggest that they suffer in Hell because they made poor choices? What does the Inferno show about Dante’s point of...
Analyze suffering in the poem “The Inferno” by Dante. How do the settings in “The Inferno” reveal Dante’s opinions about justice? In your analysis, discuss at least two settings the character Dante encounters inside Hell. In “The Inferno”, Dante, the fictional character, often expresses pity for the people who are...
How is death represented in Ribeyro’s story “The Wardrobe, Forefathers, and Death?” In Ribeyro’s “The Wardrobe, Forefathers, and Death,” the first two items from the title are discussed at length. However, the last, “death,” is merely hinted at. How is death represented in Ribeyro’s story? Make sure that your response...
Discuss symbolism in Junot Diaz’s story “Fiesta, 1980.” Junot Diaz is known for his provocative and sometimes grotesque sensibility. Thus, it should be no surprise that the most potent symbolic element in his story “Fiesta, 1980” comes in the form of the main character, Yunior, vomiting. What does Yunior’s carsickness...
Discuss the character of Father from Cisneros’ novel “American Dirt.” In Cisneros’ “American Dirt,” the character of Father ostensibly goes out to buy shoes, but that’s not really what motivates him. What is he really getting out of this shopping trip that transcends mere commerce, and, relatedly, what does the...
Analyze “The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave” by Frederick Douglas. What are the advantages of an autobiography as a historical document? What are the disadvantages of an autobiography as a historical document? Give an example of each from The Narrative. What were some of the...
According to Douglass, a slaveholder who was not religious was “truly a great advantage” to the enslaved. What do you think he meant by that? Given the emphasis on religion at this time, why do you think he wrote that? How does Douglass describe the impact of the death of...
Discuss John Updike’s short story “A&P” and M. Gilbert Porter’s critical essay “John Updike’s ‘A&P’: The Establishment and an Emersonian Cashier.” Porter seems to be endorsing Emerson’s appreciation of a boy’s judgment, his “genuine verdict.” Are Porter and Emerson right to find the boy’s judgment somehow truer than, and thus...
Think how the story “The Lion and the Mouse” reveals its theme. Think of an example from a TV show, book, or movie in which a character learns the same lesson communicated through this fable. Read the fable below and discuss the theme: “everyone can make a difference”: The Lion...
Discuss and compare the critiques of John Updike’s short story “A&P” provided by M. Gilbert Porter and William Peden. Porter disagrees with William Peden’s assessment of “A&P,” which Peden calls “nonsense” for being concerned with “nothing more significant than a checking clerk’s interest in three girls in bathing suits.” (Peden’s...
Discuss the theme of genuineness in John Updike’s short story “A&P” and M. Gilbert Porter’s critical essay “John Updike’s ‘A&P’: The Establishment and an Emersonian Cashier.” If “housewives apparently do not take sufficient pride in their appearance,” then they cannot be said to be vain. Vanity and narcissism are hallmarks...
Think how the story “The Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing” reveals its theme. Think of an example from a TV show, book, or movie in which a character learns the same lesson communicated through this fable. Read the fable below and discuss the theme: “appearances can be deceiving”: A Wolf found...
Think how the story “The Fox and the Crane” reveals its theme. Think of an example from a TV show, book, or movie in which a character learns the same lesson communicated through this fable. Read the fable below and discuss the theme: “treat others as you would like to...
Develop an analysis of the short story “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner. Discuss the use of first-person narration in one of the stories we read in class. What is the significance of the narrator in the message of the story? Choose a character from the story and explore...
Develop an analysis of the short story “The Birthmark” by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Discuss the use of first-person narration in one of the stories we read in class. What is the significance of the narrator in the message of the story? Choose a character from the story and explore the elements...
Develop an analysis of the short story “The Cask of Amontillado” by Poe. Discuss the use of first-person narration in one of the stories we read in class. What is the significance of the narrator in the message of the story? Choose a character from the story and explore the...
Develop an analysis of the short story “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. Discuss the use of first-person narration in the story. What is the significance of the narrator in the message of the story? Choose a character from the story and explore the elements of the character that...
According to Fight Club’s author, Chuck Palahniuk, Marla Singer was created as a representation of everything that is wrong within society. Do you agree? Marla Singer is viewed as Tyler’s argument for why society must be defied and uprooted, bringing mankind back to zero. Would you agree or disagree? Does...
Discuss the transformation of either the Narrator or Tyler in the “Fight Club” novel by Chuck Palahniuk. Using direct references to the novel, discuss these changes. Remember, changes can be apparent, but the best metamorphoses occur just below the surface of a novel’s details. How did the character change throughout...
There are numerous themes wrapped into the erratic, chaotic narrative that is Fight Club. Choose one to discuss in your answer. Thematic analysis is a centuries-old practice that mixes author intention with audience perception. Modern interviews and author notes can provide a bit of insight, but oftentimes, we are left...
Discuss anarchy, a gun, and an explosion in the novel “Fight Club” by Chuck Palahniuk. In the book “Fight Club” the narrator refers to anarchy, a gun, and an explosion as a reflection of various characters developed throughout the novel. What does each of these things represent in society? Are...
Reflect on a reading of a literary text of your choice as a modernist or postmodern text. Use concepts from modernism or postmodernism in your discussion. Your answer should demonstrate originality, critical thinking, and depth of argument and analysis. You should use secondary sources (e.g., JSTOR/Google Scholar) and specific examples...
Are structuralism and poststructuralism more in agreement or more in conflict with each other? Discuss structuralism and poststructuralism in the context of literary criticism. Use at least one primary text (a novel, a movie, etc.) for illustration. Your answer should demonstrate originality, critical thinking, and depth of argument and analysis....
In “A Glossary of Haunting,” Tuck and Ree provide a unique analysis of how horror and haunting may serve as a mediator of people’s change. For instance, the authors examine the story of Beloved and her family in the novel written by Toni Morrison. Beloved, in this case, represents the...
“My Papa’s Waltz” opened my eyes to the circumstances endured by victims of alcoholism and how they endure pain from abuse. Despite being hurt by the dance and the stink of alcohol on his father’s breath, the narrator proceeds to dance with his father and cling to his shirt. The...
The poet immortalizes the hands of the creator of the tiger and expresses gratitude to the power, and then proceeds to question whether the tiger was created in heaven or hell. Blake further states, “What the hammer? What is the chain? In what furnace was thy brain? What is the...
Which definition of fiction do you think is more convincing? Fiction is often described in positive terms, such as storytelling or make-believe. It can however be a synonym for lying, pretending, or faking it. Are you more likely to put your faith in the journalistic work that uncovers deception? Or...
Compose a literary analysis of the short story “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker. Examine the relationships between the mom and her two daughters and how this ultimately led to her final decision on the quilts in the short story “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker. Include a brief summary of the...
Provide allegorical explorations into the nature of evil based on the stories “Where are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates, “A Good Man is Hard to Find” by Flannery O’Connor and “Those Who Walk Away from Omelas” by Ursula Le Guin. You have several options here....
Is Jeanette Winterson’s novel, “Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit”, a work of modern myth that features a modern-day hero? You will do a Mythopoeic reading by applying the Hero’s Journey structure to Winterson’s novel “Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit”. You will look at the ways in which the...
Describe an ordinary object or a memorable scene using detail that appeals to the senses. Note this example of using sensory detail in fiction: “The hills across the valley of the Ebro’ were long and white. On this side, there was no shade and no trees and the station was...
Analyze one or two poems and provide a summary or overview of the poem(s). Analyze the poems using two different terms of literary criticism or literary approaches (such as feminism, ecocriticism, queer theory, historicism, existentialism, mythological criticism, the sublime, etc.). Use good grammar/mechanics and correct MLA format. Also, use style...
Discuss a story about Snow White and warp her in the story. To answer this question, provide the correct use of dialogue, and purposeful settings and characters. Make it fantastical (fantasy) yet make it seem real and create a way for readers to feel connected to the story. Remember it...
Analyze the poem ”Bitch” by Carolyn Kizer along with the poem ”How Falling in Love Is Like Owning a Dog” by Taylor Mali. Characterize parallels and differences. To answer this question, you need to realize that both of these poems use an extended metaphor. The term “extended metaphor” refers to...
Using works from William Wordsworth, Walt Whitman, Elizabeth Bishop, and/or Lucille Clifton, compare the speakers in two different authors’ works. To answer this question, argue how the role of the speaker impacts the overall theme of a poem. To do so, you must make a clear claim about the role...
Analyze “The Short Story Lottery” by Shirley Jackson. Discuss the use of the word lottery for the horrendous local tradition as not accidental. Evaluate the usual joyous atmosphere of the lottery with the settlement’s distressful tradition to emphasize how the name of the procedure can completely distort the true meaning...
Compare and contrast Hamlet and Laertes from the book “Hamlet” by Shakespeare. Hamlet and Laertes have very different personalities yet share a lot of common traits. Discuss their attitude towards women, their parents, and each other. How does Shakespeare portray the similarities between the characters? Why does Laertes serve as...
Analyze “Lusus Naturae” and discuss what is the conflict of the story and how is it resolved. Is the story relatable to the modern day? Quote from the story to back up claims, use quotation marks, and an in-text citation. Shape a literary analysis based on how the short story...
Create a short story that mirrors the great journey of Odysseus. Please start off your tale with the invocation of the Muse (“Sing in me, oh Muse, and help me tell my tale). In addition, you may want to start your tale in media res (“in the middle of things”)...
Discuss the theme of religion within the novel “Patron Saints of Nothing” by Randy Ribay. Is the Catholic Church seen in a positive or negative light? Choose one side and develop three reasons to prove your point. Be sure to mention his impact on the novel as a whole. The...
Discuss the scholarly identity of bell hooks and identify her major theoretical influences. The scholarly identity of bell hooks is prominent due to her contribution to feminism and the significant impact of her ideas and theories on society. You need to discuss the scholarly identity of bell hooks and identify...
Read the book “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin and determine who attempted to murder Mrs. Mallard. Kate Chopin said that “The Story of an Hour” is a murder mystery and that Brently Mallard, Richards and Josephine are all suspects. Mrs. Mallard was told that her husband was...
Analyze the excerpts from “Heart of Darkness” by Joseph Conrad and “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe. Both books offer different perspectives of the African continent from colonial and pre-colonial perspectives. How can reading two unique perspectives yield conflicting feelings about history and its opposing groups? What is the value...
Compare and contrast the gothic settings of three or more of the following texts: “Somnambulism. A Fragment,” “William Wilson. A Tale,” “Benito Cereno,” “Life in the Iron Mills.” What fears and anxieties do these settings express, and how do they contribute to the overall meaning of these stories? Your response...
Compare and contrast the role that violence plays in texts by three or more of the following writers: Crèvecoeur, Poe, Melville, and Ridge. How do scenes and images of violence contribute to the overall meaning of these stories? Your response should contain a clear and specific thesis statement that responds...
Compare and contrast the depictions of rural life that appear in texts by three or more of the following writers: Smith, Crèvecoeur, Irving, and Thoreau. What values and/or anxieties do these writers attach to remote or isolated parts of America? Some of these texts are more ambivalent about rural life...
Compare and contrast the theme of sleep/sleepiness in the following texts: “Somnambulism. A Fragment,” “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” and “Walden.” How do the writers of these texts utilize sleep in literal and/or metaphorical ways in order to advance their respective agendas? Your response should contain a clear and specific...
Analyze the book “An Enemy Such as This” written by David Correia. Clearly state the focus and the main argument of David Correia’s book “An Enemy Such as This”. Succinctly and coherently explain how chapters 1,2,3 and 7,8,9 develop the author’s main argument. You should start by identifying the thesis...
Analyze William Shakespeare’s play “The Tempest.” Your assignment should include the following elements: An explanation of Shakespeare’s purpose, as it relates to imperialism and colonialism, in “The Tempest”; Evidence from the play that supports your opinion about Shakespeare’s purpose; An introduction paragraph, body paragraphs, and a conclusion paragraph; Transitions that...
Provide a close critical analysis of the extract from Beowulf in Modern English. The extract: “LO, praise of the prowess of people-kings of spear-armed Danes, in days long sped, we have heard, and what honor the athelings won! Oft Scyld the Scefing from squadrons foes, from many a tribe, the...
Analyze the book “Santeria” by Miguel de La Torre. What is the meaning of the name “Santeria”? Is it positive terminology or a derogatory one? Explain. When and where did Santeria originate? How many followers of Santeria do we have in the US and in Latin America? What kind of...
Choose a famous poet. Identify literary devices and features of literature that are used in the poems. You may choose someone in the music industry for this if the artist is the writer of their own work and if it can be argued that the lyrical content is poetic. Identify...
Explain how would utilitarians and Immanuel Kant judge “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas” utopia. Read the story “ The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas,” then respond to the following questions: Explain how utilitarians would judge this utopia. Would they approve of it? Why? Explain how Immanuel Kant...
Discuss the ways in which Mhlope’s poem “Say No” uses descriptive and figurative language. Discuss how it shows the complex relationship between a poet and their literary creations. Include elements of textual analysis and comment on the language, structure, and imagery of Mhlope’s poem in relation to no less than...
Can we consider the narrator in Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart” a reliable one? Explain whether you think the narrator in Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart” is telling the reader an accurate account of what is really happening as opposed to what he imagines is happening. Often, when we read something, we...
How the time she was born and how she was raised influenced the playwright Susan Glaspell? The time you are born and how you are raised are two large components shaping who you are. The same goes for any author. They are likely to be influenced by what they experienced...
Does Shakespeare still matter? Present a convincing argument with supporting textual evidence from the texts in the course, as well as others of your own choosing, as to why Shakespeare still matters or does not matter. Explain whether his writing reflects the human condition or not. Is Shakespearean literature still...
Discuss conventional literary themes and three major literary genres. Identify conventional literary themes while reading literature. Summarize the conventional themes while reading literature. Summarize the characteristics of the literary canon. Identify the three major literary genres. Summarize the history of the major literary genres. Identify the origins of fiction and...
What obstacles does “The Book of Negroes” by Lawrence Hill’s protagonist face? How much inner turmoil does he or she experience? Is your protagonist pulled in two directions by two compelling desires, ambitions, obligations, and influences? How is the novel’s title significant to the meaning of your book? Consider the...
Why do more people not leave Omelas in “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas” by Le Guin? Based on Le Guin’s description in her short story “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas,” but also extrapolating from the story with your own imagination, describe why more people do not...
How would you write an essay on the topic of “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen? Choose just one of the following topics: Discuss the function and importance of letters in “Pride and Prejudice.” Do “Pride and Prejudice” reinforce or erode sexist stereotypes of women? “Time and space are small...
In The Epic of Gilgamesh, there are several moments when Gilgamesh dreams. Develop a thesis on the role of dreams in work. To answer this question, consider how modern dream interpretation compares to Gilgamesh’s experiences with dreams. The prompt asks you to think critically and to develop an argument. Your...
Narratives (stories) play a role in every life. Identify a fiction story that has had an impact on your life. What was that impact? How did it affect your behavior? In retrospect, do you approve or disapprove of that effect? What is the basis of your approval or disapproval? Show...
Provide a literary analysis of the short story “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant. What is the literary meaning? What are the facts presented? What are the main points made by the author? What does this piece suggest about human nature? Does the author create a believable story? How? How...
Provide a THOMAS summary of the book “Black Diamond Queens: African American Women and Rock and Roll” by Maureen Mahon. The THOMAS summary includes the following elements: Topic: in the simplest terms possible, what is the book or article about? Historiography: what scholarly work does this book cite, challenge, or...
Imagine that you are an editor who is putting together an anthology of literature. Select one story from “The Monk’s Tale” and explore the story’s plot, its related themes, and its rhyme scheme and meter. To answer this question, include an objective summary of the story. Describe how two themes...
Discuss the poem “On Children” by Kahlil Gibran. Provide your thesis statement. To answer this question, make a judgment (the poem is powerful, colorful, playful, etc.), but explain and use examples to justify. Make sure that you have something specific that you want to say about the poem that you...
Critically evaluate a book of your choosing. Evaluate how the book relates to the debates, themes, issues, and conceptual tools you have learned. To answer this question, take into account the examples of themes. They include racism, discrimination, segregation, assimilation, americanization, racist nativism, identity, culture, and colonization. Your analysis should...
Provide the analysis of the “Speech Sounds” in terms of its plot, setting/characters, and tone. To answer the question, discuss what shows the alternative universe introduced in “Speech Sounds.” Describe the other interesting elements of the story. Examine how language loss might affect interpersonal relationships and significantly decrease life quality,...
Prepare an abstract of “The Big Switch: Rewiring the World, From Edison to Google” by Nicholas Carr. Focus on the explanation question that seeks clarification about something in the text. Discuss content-based questions that you might like to have discussed as a class. Include a brief analysis of a secondary...
Prepare an abstract /summary of Paulo Freire: Dignity and the Limits of Inclusion. What is the main point of the reading? There could be more than one main point.) What of interest stood out for you as you read? Focus on specific paragraphs from the text, and tell us why...
Provide an analysis of “The Secret Sharer” by Joseph Conrad. To answer this question, discuss the main idea. Describe the thesis statement or central argument. What did the author try to illustrate? How did The Secret Sharer investigate the concept of solitude and its effects on mankind? Integrate your quote....
What do you think about the ethnography “Feeding Desire”? Describe it and construct an argument about it. Your answer should contain all of the requisites of a book review, but the heart of your answer is your response to some feature of Azawagh Arab beliefs and practices that you find...