08 Aug The power of cultural perceptions of human value in “Two Kinds”
Write a 500-750 word essay analyzing some literary aspect of one of the assigned short stories. The essay must have a clear thesis. Remember, a good thesis is one with which someone could disagree. Avoid, at all costs, obvious arguments such as: “In ‘A Good Man is Hard to Find,’ the Misfit is a murderer.” This is not an argument; it is an obvious fact in the story.
Avoid grand, sweeping claims. For instance, “All mothers have unrealistic expectations of their children, just like the mother in “Two Kinds” Instead, find a specific aspect of the text that commands your attention.
Also avoid too much plot summary in your essay. Focus on the specific details or lines in the story that illustrate the focus or thesis of your paper. So, if you’re writing about verbal irony in “The Yellow Wallpaper,” focus on those parts of the story in which you clearly see the narrator using verbal irony. You don’t need to tell your reader everything that happens in the story because you and your reader have both read this story.
Here are some topic suggestions. Note, these are general topics, not complete thesis statements. You must develop a compelling argument yourself. You are not limited to these topics. They are simply suggestions.
-Foreshadowing in “A Good Man is Hard to Find”
– Biblical allusions in “The Lottery.”
-The power of cultural perceptions of human value in “Two Kinds”
-Setting as an indicator of character in “The Yellow Wallpaper”
You must support your thesis with evidence from the text. You should not use any other sources. This is not a research paper.
