World literature Essay

Purpose

For this assignment, you must write a coherent, grammatically correct critical analysis essay (700-1000 words) on the novel,  The White Tiger  by Aravind Adiga  OR Beowulf using the guidelines in Chapter 4 of your textbook, Writing About Literature, 13th edition. Specifically, you will write a character analysis where you will explain how the author uses a literary device to develop the main character, and you will use your argument to offer a critical interpretation of the novel (what you think it means). You must also synthesize quotes from both the novel (or poem if you choose Beowulf) AND from Writing About Literature. Do NOT use any other sources.

Rhetorical Situation

White Tiger Option: The novel is the type of long-form prose that emphasizes character development. The central defining aspect that distinguishes it from other types of fiction is the novel deals with a human character in a social situation, humans as social beings. Consequently, the novel emphasizes character--especially one well-rounded character (the protagonist)--rather than on plot (which is what the short story does). For this assignment, you will write a character analysis of  The White Tiger  by Aravind Adiga . Specifically, you will choose one of the following motifs in the novel and explain how Adiga uses it to develop the character of Balram Halwai, the protagonist:

1. Gender: There are a variety of situations in the novel having to do with gender roles, such as power structures in the family, marriage and divorce, marital faithfulness, and prostitution. What are these symbolic of? How does Balram’s attitudes toward male/female relationships change throughout the novel? How does this shape his character? Is he influenced by Ashok's relationships with Pinky Madam, and later, Uma? What about his grandmother, Kusum?

2. Animal Imagery. Animal imagery is an important aspect of The White Tiger. The landlords all have animal nicknames—the Buffalo, the Stork, the Raven, the Wild Boar, the Mongoose—Balram says if Ashok had a nickname, it would be the Lamb. Also, Balram’s nicknames are animalistic—he’s the White Tiger, but he’s also Country-Mouse. An extended metaphor Balram uses to describe the servant culture in India is the Rooster Coop. Whenever he talks about having sex, he refers to it as “dipping his beak” into a woman. Search the novel for examples of how this imagery is used.How does Adiga use animal imagery to shape his characters? How does Balram develop in terms of animalistic imagery? How do the other characters?

3. Foils.In fiction, a foil is a character who contrasts with another character, usually the protagonist, to highlight particular qualities of the other character. Ashok serves as a foil to Balram in The White Tiger. In a way Balram considers Ashok to be his mentor--he copies Ashok's behavior in his quest to move from the Darkness to the Light. In a similar way, Ashok copies the behaviors of people he met while attending university in America. However, these behaviors are often counterproductive, or even self-destructive. Look for examples of how Balram copies Ashok's behavior and evaluate how these things either help Balram escape to the Light or impede his progress. Ultimately, what change occurs in Balram that enables him to do what he has to do to gain his independence?

4. Names: Names are significant--they all mean something. Naming something makes it "exist" in a sense. Parents typically name their children either to reflect their family heritage, or perhaps after someone they admire, or they may pick a name to forecast a trait they hope their children will possess. This is particularly true in a work of fiction because it's a tool an author can use symbolically to tell you about a character. Balram has several names: Munna, Balram, the White Tiger, Country-Mouse, and finally, Ashok Sherma. How does Balram develop in terms of these different names? How does naming work with the other characters?

5. Social Responsibility. There are two instances where a child is run over and killed—the first time, it’s Pinky Madam. The second time, it’s Mohammad Asif—one of Balram’s drivers. Compare and contrast these two incidents and how they’re dealt with. Specifically, discuss how Balram develops in response of these two related incidents. How does it develop the novel’s theme?

6. Murder. Balram tells Jaibo in the first chapter that he is a murderer, and that turns out to be true. As a result, Balram's entire family is likely tortured and murdered by the Stork. Is there a way to justify Balram's decision to murder Ashok and thus sacrifice his family? How does that impact the reader's attitude toward Balram? How does it mark his development as a character?

You must follow the instructions provided by Roberts in Chapter 4 "Writing About Character" from your textbook, Writing About Literature, 13th edition. If you don't use Roberts, your grade will be penalized.

Beowulf Option: The epic poem is A long narrative poem about the adventures of a national hero. Folk epics like Beowulf originated in oral cultures and were typically recited or acted out by a performer who had them memorized word-for-word—these were only later written down when the culture became literate. Beowulf started out as a pagan folktale that originated, most likely, The events described in the poem take place in the late 5th century, after Angles and Saxons had migration to England, and before the beginning of the 7th century (and the Viking raids) when they still liked their Norse kinfolk. The lLegend may have been brought to England by people from Geatland. However, by the time it was finally written down by an unknown Anglo-Saxon poet between the 8th and early 11th centuries AD, the original pagan story had been mixed with Christian themes. For this assignment, you will write an analysis of one of the Nordic/pagan motifs in Beowulf and how it relates to the Christian values later added to the poem:

· Monsters: In Christian medieval culture, monster was the word that referred to birth defects, which were always understood as an ominous sign from God—a sign of transgression or of bad things to come. In keeping with this idea, the monsters that Beowulf must fight in this Old English poem shape the poem’s plot and seem to represent an inhuman or alien presence in society that must be exorcised for the society’s safety.

· Comitatus: The Germanic friendship structure that compelled kings/lords to rule in consultation with their warriors; basis for feudalism. It included:

. Duties of the King/Lord: to provide warriors/vassals with land, compensation, or privileges.

. Duties of the warrior/vassal: to provide military service and protection to the superior.

· Wyrd: Fate – acceptance of the inevitable;

· Wergild – Anglo-Saxon society was based on honor and violence, presided over by the laws of the blood-feud, where the kin of a person slain are bound to exact a price for the death, either by slaying the killer or by receiving satisfaction in the form of wergild (the “man-price”), a legally fixed compensation.

You must follow the instructions provided by Roberts in Chapter 8 "Writing About an Idea or Theme" from your textbook, Writing About Literature, 13th edition. If you don't use Roberts, your grade will be penalized.

To complete your assignment

1. Follow the guidelines in the Roberts' chapter, pages 89-90 under the section called "Organize your Essay About Character." Make sure you use one of the 4 approaches for developing your body paragraphs listed there. (there's also a PDF copy of the chapter attached above).

2. Download the "Character Analysis Questions" from the link above--these are from the Roberts chapter.

3. Download and use the Literary Analysis Template to help you write your thesis sentence and organize your paper.

4. Download and use the MLA Citation and Formatting Guide for help on how to do Works Cited entries and for paper formatting guidelines.

5. Submit your paper online via the due date.

Guidelines

Your paper should:

· Include a thesis that announces your reading of the text and forecasts your interpretation

· Evaluate and analyze, not judge or offer opinions (this isn’t about how you feel about a piece, it’s about how you think it works and why)

· Provide an appropriately concise rhetorical context that helps your intended readers understand the issue or subject discussed in the text.

· Include quotations and examples from the text and the two academic sources you’ve researched that support the claims you make in your analysis of the text. Your quotations should be cohesive; in other words, remember that whenever you use quotations, you are using them to support what YOU are saying. Don’t just plop them into your paragraphs—introduce them so they fit with the flow of your own thoughts and voice.

· Include a conclusion where you explain how the literary device you’re analyzing leads to an overall interpretation of the work’s meaning.

· Follow MLA format for the heading, format, pagination, internal documentation, and Works Cited. If you don’t know exactly how to do this, go to the Lecture Notes link on the course Blackboard page and download the PowerPoint lecture titled “MLA Formatting Instructions.”

· Be written in academic voice (Avoid first person: me, I, our, we. Do not use second person: you, your).

· Refer to an author by his or her whole name when you first introduce and then only by last name. For example, don’t write, “According to Willie…” unless “Willie” is the author’s last name.

· I've already said this above but MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A WORKS CITED PAGE. Any papers NOT written in MLA format or missing a Works Cited page will receive an automatic 20 point deduction.

MLA Format

As noted above, your paper should use MLA format. If you don’t know exactly how to do this, go to the Lecture Notes link on the course Blackboard page and download the PowerPoint lecture titled “MLA Formatting Instructions.” It should be:

· Standard 8 ½ x 11 format with black ink

· Double-spaced, with 1” margins, 12 pt font (Times New Roman)

· Include an MLA-style heading on the first page

· Include your name and page number in the right-side header on each page after the first

· Include an MLA-style Works Cited page that appears at the end of the paper and is formatted correctly

For additional information about MLA format, consult a writing handbook, or visit the Purdue OWL online at http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/