Paper 1:
Jackson, “The Lottery”; LeGuin, “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas”; Gilman, “The Yellow Wallpaper”
Assignment Purpose: The purpose of this first essay assignment is to acquaint students with thinking and writing critically about literature.
For this paper, please respond to one of the following questions:
1. DrawinguponparallelsbetweentheclassicStanleyMilgramexperiment(referto
the three relevant links available through Web Links) and Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery,” respond to the following question: What do the story and the results of the experiment seem to tell us about human beings, perhaps particularly in relation to authority and morality? Support your response to this question by referring to specific details from both the story and from the experiment.
2. AfterreadingLoganHill’s“AnOverviewof‘TheOnesWhoWalkAwayfrom Omelas’” (under Week 3) and Theresa Brown’s “Prolonging Death at the End of Life” (under Web Links), apply Ursula K. LeGuin’s “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” to some aspect of life that you feel like it makes sense to do so, be it in the world at large, in American society, or in your own life. To get a sense of what I’m looking for here, see what Brown talks about in her entire short article, and what Hill discusses especially in paragraphs two and three of his article. You may also use any of the New York Times articles about the Foxconn factory in China under Web Links.
3. InterprettheendingofGilman’s“TheYellowWallpaper,”especiallyinresponseto this question: Does the story seem to leave any room at all for the reader to feel optimistic or hopeful about the fate of the narrator, and by extension, the role of middle class women in American society at the time? How or why/why not?
Your essay must meet the following criteria:
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?????It must be at least 750 words long (longer is okay, as long as all content supports your thesis)
It must have a clear, persuasive, underlined thesis statement in either your introduction or your conclusion. That thesis statement should be your response to one of the the topic choices above.
It must have a clear, unifying, underlined topic sentence somewhere in each body paragraph
It must have a body your supports that thesis statement through reference to/discussion of various elements of the story (i.e., textual evidence), quoting or paraphrasing at least three times from the story you’re writing about, and placing page numbers from borrowed passages in parentheses directly after you’ve quoted or paraphrased.
It must correctly use of at least one literary term you’ve had readings about and we’ve discussed in class (e.g., plot, conflict, character, theme, setting, point-of-view, style and tone, irony, etc.). Make sure you underline the term in your paper, and use it in more than a superficial way (e.g., if you use “plot,” you should discuss aspects of the plot such as conflict(s),
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climax, denouement, etc., and make sure that discussion is helping to support or illustrate a point you’re making).
It must be submitted in #4 font (14-point) in the MyLiteratureLab composing space
Please consider spending time prewriting and then organizing your ideas into an outline before you start drafting.
No matter which question you choose, make sure you include direct evidence from the story (in the form of summary, paraphrase, and/or quotation) in order to support your thesis. Although you may incorporate points made in class discussion, please do not rely solely on what’s already been said in developing your interpretation.
You may use any relevant resources I’ve provided the class in your essay (supplementary readings or videos). Please do not use any resources I have not provided the class in your essay. We have not yet gone over information literacy, and I want this essay to focus primarily upon your own thoughts in response to whichever of the three topic options you choose.
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