ANALYZING SHORT STORIES TO UNDERSTAND THE VARIOUS WRITING ELEMENTS, English homework help

ESSAY #1

THE SHORT STORY

In this assignment, you will look at one or two of the following stories and analyze the ways in which the author uses the elements of their story to build its meaning:

·  Junot Diaz “How to Date a Browngirl, Blackgirl, Whitegirl, or Halfie”

·  Ralph Ellison “Battle Royal”

·  William Faulkner “A Rose for Emily”

·  John Updike “A & P”

·  David Updike “Summer”

This essay should be three to five pages, double-spaced and typed.  Remember to use examples and quotes from the stories to support your position and develop your ideas.  Please note: because you will be citing examples from your book, you must follow proper citation format and include a Works Cited page.

DUE WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 5 AT THE START OF CLASS – 12:35pm

YOU SHOULD BRING A HARD COPY and SUBMIT A SOFT COPY TO D2L

Choose one of the following topics

·  Discuss the teenage narrator’s relationship to authority in Junot Diaz’s story “How to Date a Browngirl, Blackgirl, Whitegirl or Halfie” and in John Updike’s “A & P”.

·  Compare and contrast the setting of The South in both “Battle Royal” and “A Rose for Emily”

·  Explore the roles and attitudes of the two minor characters, Stokesie and Lengel, in John Updike’s “A&P” by comparing them with the main character, Sammy.

·  Compare David Updike’s treatment of summer as the setting of his story with John Updike’s use of summer as the setting in “A & P”. 

·  Though their differences are numerous, compare how the characters of Sammy from Updike’s “A&P” and the narrator in “Battle Royal” similar?  Issues to consider would include, but not be limited to, their motivations, stages of life, social statuses and interactions with other characters.