English Essay

“The horror of the spectacle, the ignorance of all around how this misfortune happened, and above all, the tremendous phenomenon before him, took away the prince’s speech.”

The Castle of Otranto, Ch. 1

For your first writing assignment, you need to select one or more of the texts listed on your syllabus (even those we haven’t read yet) and explore its/their treatment(s) of or attitude(s) toward the supernatural, death, and/or the afterlife. Your thesis might address the possible function(s) of your chosen work’s supernatural elements, in terms of theme or symbolism, or you might wish to compare one text’s use of the supernatural with another’s. Whichever approach you choose, you should look closely at the text’s presentation/use of the supernatural and persuade me to accept your reading of that presentation/use via textual evidence.

For this first paper, you are NOT required to incorporate secondary source material into your argument. Neither should you attempt more than a basic articulation of your argument. Try to write five or six solid paragraphs outlining your chosen text’s treatment of the supernatural (using some preliminary textual evidence for support), and include somewhere in your draft a CLEAR, CONCISE articulation of your reading of that treatment as your statement of thesis.

EXAMPLE STATEMENT OF THESIS: “Walpole’s Castle of Otranto employs conventional symbols of aristocratic heritage, such as armor, portraits, and tombs, to convey the immense influence of the past on the individual lives of the present, and it exaggerates or spiritualizes these symbols to emphasize the past’s irresistible, inescapable presence.”

This first part of the essay should be 2-3 pages, double-spaced. It is due on October 12 in class. No late papers will be accepted. If you know you will not be in attendance on the due date, you must submit the paper early.