Art of Literatur- Juxtaposing Short Stories

Juxtaposition: What do these stories have in common? How are they different? Analyze these similarities and differences and consider how each author uses/takes advantage of literary elements to meet their intent and goals. Also, you should consider how the texts you’ve chosen to work with “speak” to each other in a way that will help you explore and develop the key concepts in your essay. Be sure to use textual evidence to support your ideas, and avoid simple summarization of each text. Choose ONE topic from FIVE given: 1. Both The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven and Fiesta are stories dealing with cultural influences. These influences can be seen as either empowering or constraining, depending upon the situation. Each protagonist is seen both in and out of their respective “familiar” environments. How do Alexie and Díaz use the narrative technique of dialogue to reflect each protagonist’s anxiety and/or internal conflict? In addition to each writer’s use of dialogue, how do other formal literary elements (setting, tone, exposition, and so on) evident in The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven and Fiesta tell the reader about what it means to be part of another culture in America? 2. William Faulkner’s A Rose for Emily and Flannery O’Connor’s A Good Man is Hard to Find are examples of the Southern Gothic genre, and can be viewed as a traditional classic tragedy- i.e. an unavoidable fall in the protagonist’s fortunes. Juxtaposing these two stories, offer an exploration of each story’s tragedy: consider the plot structure of each and, then, each writer’s artistic intent. Identify additional formal literary elements that Faulkner and O’Connor use to supplement both their respective plot structures and the classic tragic theme. For example, you may want to consider character as a key concept. How do Faulkner and O’Connor flesh out and make their characters real, and how do these characters inform each tragedy? Are these characters misunderstood and stereotyped, or do they have a larger, perhaps ironic significance?