Three-Part Thesis

Burning Bright Research Paper Topic Ideas

Note: These are some sample research topics on short stories from the

collection Burning Bright. Not all stories from the book are represented here.

You may choose any story from the book, and use one of the topics here, or

you may use your own idea for a research topic. Most ideas ask you to

analyze three aspects of the topic. (Three is the magic number because,

later on, this will give you one key point to discuss in each of the three body

paragraphs in the Research Paper.) Read through all the samples to get

inspired!

➢ Analyze three ways that the short story “Hard Times” is actually a

mystery story.

➢ Analyze three ways that the title of the short story “Dead

Confederates” is symbolic.

➢ Analyze three ways that the short story “Lincolnites” is a good

example of a thriller.

➢ In the short story “Lincolnites,” analyze three ways that Lily illustrates

women’s empowerment during a time when women’s rights were

restricted.

➢ In the short story “Back of Beyond,” the character of Parson can be

seen as achieving redemption. Discuss and analyze three ways he

achieves redemption.

➢ In the short story “Back of Beyond,” the character of Parson can also

be seen as one who does not achieve redemption. Discuss and analyze

three ways that he does not achieve redemption.

➢ In the short story “The Ascent,” the boy Jared has no choice but to

take on the role and responsibilities of an adult. Discuss and analyze

three ways that Jared takes on the role of an adult.

➢ Analyze what becomes “unanchored” in the character of Ruth and

three reasons why in the short story “The Woman Who Believed in

Jaguars.”

➢ Analyze three ways that Ruth, the protagonist in “The Woman Who

Believed in Jaguars,” is like a jaguar.

➢ Discuss the complexities of why Marcie lies for Carl at the end of the

short story “Burning Bright.” Find three reasons why she withholds the

truth about Carl and analyze them.

➢ Explore three ways that the two different settings in the short story

“Return” are significant.

➢ Analyze three ways why the protagonist in the short story “Return”

sees the Japanese soldier as an enemy.

➢ Analyze three ways why the protagonist in the short story “Return”

does not see the Japanese solider as an enemy.

➢ Discuss three ways that a minor character in the short story “Return”

influences the protagonist and analyze why.

➢ In “The Corpse Bird” the main character, Boyd Candler, believes in the

folklore of his ancestors and acts on those beliefs despite the

disapproval of his community. Argue that his beliefs are superstitious,

or argue that his beliefs are enlightened. Discuss three ways that

Boyd’s beliefs are either superstitious or enlightened.

➢ Analyze three ways that Ron Rash uses a symbol or a theme in a story

from the collection. Examples of symbols are: water, fire, birds,

burials, music/songs, biblical references, winter, etc. Examples of

themes are: separation from home/family, poverty, good versus. evil,

moral choices in everyday life, sin versus salvation, the folklore of

Mountain culture, etc.

➢ The opening sentence to the story “Waiting for the End of the World”

references a line from “The Second Coming,” a poem by W. B. Yeats

written right after the carnage of World War One had ended, giving

rise to a disillusioned generation that Gertrude Stein famously labeled

The Lost Generation. The story’s line is “surely some revelation is at

hand.” Read the short Yeats poem (look it up), think about the story,

and discuss the following questions: 1) Explain why the guitarist

narrator of the story, playing to a numbed audience of drunks and

addicts in a rundown bar in Appalachia, might contemplate the concept

of revelation. 2) What does the narrator hope to learn? 3) What does

the narrator perhaps believe he already knows? Develop a compelling

thesis for your research paper summarizing your position on these

questions. Discuss the three prompts in the three body paragraphs of

your Research Paper.

➢ “Free Bird” by the band Lynyrd Skynyrd is a 1974 song that has

passed into rock and roll legend. It has long been a famous standard

of the genre known as Southern Rock and an “anthem” of sorts to the

culture that Rash exposes in the 2010 story "Waiting for the End of the

World." The song has great emotional appeal as it builds slowly to a

lead guitar riff (dueling guitars, actually) that is among the greatest in

rock history. For a long time, it was among the most requested songs

for rock bands playing in clubs and bars. Think about the story

"Waiting for the End of the World" and examine the song’s

lyrics (look them up). “Free Bird” is long---nearly ten minutes--

-but also give it a listen:

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxIWDmmqZzY.) Then,

discuss the following questions, providing textual evidence for

your explanations: 1) Why should the song "Free Bird"

resonate at all to the self-medicated crowd at The Last

Chance? 2) What do you suppose the average patron at The

Last Chance hears in the song? 3) What does the average

patron at The Last Chance perhaps feel when hearing the

song? Develop a compelling thesis for your research paper

based on your responses to these questions. Discuss the three

prompts in the three body paragraphs of your Research Paper.