Fiction Essay

Fiction Essay 

Write a 750-word (3–4 pages) essay that compares and contrasts 2 stories from the Fiction Unit. The Fiction Essay is due by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Monday of Module/Week 3 and must include a title page (see the General Writing Requirements), a thesis/outline page, and the essay itself,followed by a works cited/references/bibliography page of any primary and/or secondary texts cited in the essay.

Guidelines for Developing Your Paper Topic

Chapter 40 of the Kennedy and Gioia textbook (Chapter 42, pp. 1116–1131 in the eText) provides some helpful pointers for reading actively, taking notes, brainstorming, developing a clearly-defined thesis statement, preparing an outline, and writing a cogent fiction essay. Be sure that you have read this chapter before doing any further work for this assignment.

Compare and contrast in your essay:

· “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson,

· “The Rocking-Horse Winner” by D.H. Lawrence,

  

Also, make at least 1 of these elements of fiction the focus of your essay:

· Conflict/Plot/Structure,

· Characterization,

· Setting,

· Theme/Authors’ Purposes,

· Point of View, and/or

· Tone/Style/Irony/Symbol/Imagery.

If you need help focusing your essay, ask yourself questions that correspond to your chosen element(s).

Conflict/Plot/Structure (This is not a summary of the stories)

· What are the basic conflicts? How do these conflicts build tension, leading to major, complicated incidents and climactic moment(s)? 

• What are the      ways in which each major character experiences conflict (either with self,      with other characters, or with the social and/or physical environment)? 

· How are the conflicts resolved? Do the protagonists succeed in achieving their goals? 

· Who receives your deepest sympathy and why?

Characterization

• Who are the      main characters in the stories?
• What are      their outstanding qualities? Does the author give any indication as to how      or why the character developed these qualities?
• What are the      characters’ emotions, attitudes, and behaviors? What do these indicate to      the reader about the character?
• Can the      characters’ motivations be determined from the text?

Setting

• Where and when      do the stories take place (remember to include such details as geographic      location, time of year, time period, if the setting is rural or urban, etc.)?
• Do the      settings make the stories believable or credible? How does setting impact      the plot of the story, and how would the plot be affected if the story      took place in another setting?
• Are the      characters influenced by their setting? How might they behave if they were      in a different setting?
• What      atmosphere or mood does the setting create (for example, darkness may      create a mood of fear or unhappiness while light or bright colors may      create one of happiness)?
• Is the      setting or any aspect of it a symbol, or does the setting express      particular ideas?
• Does setting      create expectations that are the opposite of what occurs?

  

Theme/Authors’ Purposes

• What is the      major theme (or themes) of each story?
• Are the      themes of the stories similar or different?
• How does the      author convey the theme (or themes) to the reader?
• How do the      stories’ themes relate to the authors’ purposes (some examples of author      purposes are to entertain, to satirize, to realistically portray life’s      problems, to analyze emotions and responses, and/or to communicate a moral      message)?
• What unique      style, techniques, or devices do the writers use to communicate their      themes? 

Tone/Style/Irony/Symbol

• How would you      describe the tone of the piece?
• Does the tone      correspond with the action occurring in the plot?
• What style      does the author use (for example, one way an author might satirize is by      including a lot of ironies, hyperbole, and unrealistic scenarios)?
• How might the      story be different if the tone or style is changed?
• Does the      writer use irony or symbols to communicate the message?