three choose one, 3.5-5 pages

Choose a topic below and follow it closely to produce a paper a minimum of three-and-a-half pages (maximum five pages) in length. For formatting, use of quotes, and other paper requirements, refer to “Writing Papers” (also available on Blackboard under Handouts).

  All of these topics (except for #3—see below) require a three-part thesis using three texts and a total of eighteen quotes.

1. Consider three ways in which the supernatural is represented or has an impact in “Le Belle Dame sans Merci,” “The Lady of Shallot,” and The Picture of Dorian Gray.  For examples, what similar effect does it have on characters in these works? How is the supernatural portrayed (what does it look like)?What qualities (types of appearance or behavior) are associated with the supernatural? What is the overall impact of the supernatural?

2.  Compare the subjective narrators in “My Last Duchess,” “The Charge of the Light Brigade,” and “Goblin Market.” What qualities do they share? What do they do—what information or ideas about their stories do they prioritize? How does their type of storytelling influence their stories? As we’ve seen, narrators can selectively include and omit information (prioritizing) and comment on the story.

3. Start with a definition of the sublime (from a scholarly source, such as AUM’s online references) and show two ways in which the idea is represented in “Ode to a Grecian Urn,” “Goblin Market,” and The Picture of Dorian Gray. What types of objects or experiences are described as sublime in all three works?  (Note: Although this topic requires a minimum of only twelve quotes—it needs only two subtopics—it will be more difficult to discuss an abstract idea,. and page length requirements apply)