Review two of the stories we have read so far and reflect on what you've learned about human values, relationships, or character. Compose an essay examining a common theme or analyzing characters who face related problems. Your purpose is to explain what you've learned from the stories based on your own careful reading and our interpretations in class. You may use an appropriate question from the question handout to begin drafting your interpretation.
Include at least four specific quoted passages or references to the stories, each followed by a parenthetical citation. The citation is simply the author's last name followed by the page number: (Oates 300). Omit the name if you've identified the writer in introducing the quoted passage or reference. Integrate the quotations appropriately within the text of your essay.
Identify titles and authors in the opening section of the essay.
Audience: someone who's read the stories but needs a better understanding of theme and/or character. This means you don't have to summarize the plot; your purpose is to interpret.
Works Cited
Carver, Raymond. "Cathedral." Literature: A Pocket Anthology. Ed. R. S. Gwynn. New York: Longman, 2007. 272-285.
Erdlich, Louise. "The Red Convertible." Literature: A Pocket Anthology. Ed. R. S. Gwynn. New York: Longman, 2007. 354-363.
Maupassant, Guy de. "Mother Savage." Literature: A Pocket Anthology. Ed. R. S. Gwynn. New York: Longman, 2007. 52-58.
Vonnegut, Kurt. "Harrison Bergeron." 1961. <http://instruct.westvalley.edu/lafave/hb.html>