Pleaseuse the following prompts to develop an original essay consisting of two tothree full pages (excluding the works cited page) based on one or more of theshort stories assigned in class or on Alan Moore and David Lloyds V forVendetta. Remember to avoid writing an extended summary of the work; the focusshould be on writing a sustained analysis of a character, a theme, or thesymbolism of the work(s). You may also use any of the topic suggestions foundat the end of each chapter in our section on fiction. In addition to thework(s) analyzed, two critical sources about the literary work(s) you discussare required, all of which must come from PSCs library or its databases.Failure to include two library sources will result in a twenty-five-pointpenalty. You may also use UFs ImageText database to find sources; see link inCanvas. Other sources from outside of the library are not permitted. Quotesfrom the original text are necessary in order to validate your assertions, soplease use them appropriately throughout your essay, taking care to cite themproperly in MLA format. You may choose from the following general prompts tohelp you narrow your topic.
General Topics:Chooseto compare two characters or a common theme, subject, or symbol found inseveral works. Examinea single element in one or more worksfor example, symbolism, point of view,setting, theme, style, or character development.Analyzethe social commentary embedded in one or more works.Questions to ask aboutliterature: The following questions will help you generate ideas to use in yourpapers. Please do not simply answer them in your essay.Questions about technique:Plot: What centralconflicts drive the plot? Are they internal (within a character) or externalbetween characters or between a character and a force)? How are the conflictsresolved? Why are events in a particular order? Setting:Does the setting (time and place) create an atmosphere, give an insight intocharacter, suggest symbolic meanings, or hint at the theme of the work?
Character:What seems to motivate the central characters? Do any characters changesignificantly? If so, whatif anythinghave they learned from theirexperiences? Do sharp contrasts between characters highlight important themes?Point of View: Does thepoint of viewthe perspective from which the story is narratedinfluence ourunderstanding of events? Does the narration reveal the character of thespeaker, or does the speaker merely observe others? Is the narrator perhapsinnocent, nave, or deceitful?Theme:Does the work have an overall theme (a central insight about people or a truthabout life, for example)? If so, how do details in the work serve to illuminatethis theme? Language:Does languagesuch as formal or informal, standard or dialect, cool orpassionatereveal the character of the speakers? How do metaphors, similes, andsensory images contribute to the work? How do recurring images enrich the workand hint at its meaning? Questions about social context:Historical context: Whatdoes the work reveal aboutor how was it shaped bythe time and place in whichit was written? Does the work appear to promote or undermine a philosophy thatwas popular in its time, such as social Darwinism in the late nineteenthcentury or the womens movement in the mid-twentieth century? Class: How does socialclass shape or influence characters choices and actions? How does class affectthe way characters viewor are viewedby others? What economic struggles orpower relationships does the work reflect or depict? Race and culture: Are anycharacters portrayed as being caught between cultures: between the culture ofhome and the culture of work or school, for example, or between a traditionaland an emerging culture? Are any characters engaged in a conflict with societybecause of their race or ethnic background? To what extent does the workcelebrate a specific culture and its traditions?
Gender:Are any characters choices restricted because of their gender? What are thepower relationships between the sexes, and do these change during the course ofthe work? DO any characters resist the gender roles society has assigned them?Do other characters choose to conform to those roles? Archetypes (or universal types):Does a character, an image, or a plot fit a patternor typethat has been repeatedin stories throughout history and across cultures? (For example, nearly everyculture has stories about heroes, quests, redemption, and revenge.) How does anarchetypal character, image, or plot line correspond to or differ from otherslike it? (Questions to Ask about Literature taken from Diana Hacker and NancySommers Writing about Literature (2011), Bedford/St. Martins.)