First essay--topics
English 338
February 6, 2006
Prof. Susan M. Schultz
First Essay
5 pages: due February 21
Write on one of the following topics. If you would like to write on something else, you need to clear it with me first. Whatever you choose to do, you need to make a strong case for your argument, using evidence, detail, and passion. In other words, write in a voice distinctly your own, while making certain to speak directly to your audience (think of your audience as me and as your classmates). Be sure to maintain a focus appropriate to a 5-page paper (not The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire!).
1. We’ve read Ginsberg, O’Connor, and Herr against the backdrop of American history in the 1950s and 1960s. But we’ve only touched the tip of the iceberg. Hunt down some of the (related) references in one of the texts we’ve read and explore the ways in which the author uses them in his or her work. In what ways is a knowledge of these references crucial to understanding the text you’ve chosen? Use on-line resources, including Al Filreis’s 1950s page, and the library.
2. Do a formal analysis of one of the writers. Why must Ginsberg write a catalogue, rather than use more traditional forms? What does the short story form do for O’Connor that the longer form might not? Why does Herr eschew traditional narrative, in favor of a more episodic structure? Consider the content of their work, and how the forms they use help them deal with that content.
3. (semi-creative essay) Write a dialogue between two of the authors we've read so far, on a subject of interest to them both. If you do this one, keep the chitchat to a minimum, and do the work of an essay, as well as use the form creatively. Assume that the authors have read each other's work carefully, can cite pages and quotations, and that they are engaged in a purposeful argument over a literary and/or historical topic.
February 6, 2006
Prof. Susan M. Schultz
First Essay
5 pages: due February 21
Write on one of the following topics. If you would like to write on something else, you need to clear it with me first. Whatever you choose to do, you need to make a strong case for your argument, using evidence, detail, and passion. In other words, write in a voice distinctly your own, while making certain to speak directly to your audience (think of your audience as me and as your classmates). Be sure to maintain a focus appropriate to a 5-page paper (not The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire!).
1. We’ve read Ginsberg, O’Connor, and Herr against the backdrop of American history in the 1950s and 1960s. But we’ve only touched the tip of the iceberg. Hunt down some of the (related) references in one of the texts we’ve read and explore the ways in which the author uses them in his or her work. In what ways is a knowledge of these references crucial to understanding the text you’ve chosen? Use on-line resources, including Al Filreis’s 1950s page, and the library.
2. Do a formal analysis of one of the writers. Why must Ginsberg write a catalogue, rather than use more traditional forms? What does the short story form do for O’Connor that the longer form might not? Why does Herr eschew traditional narrative, in favor of a more episodic structure? Consider the content of their work, and how the forms they use help them deal with that content.
3. (semi-creative essay) Write a dialogue between two of the authors we've read so far, on a subject of interest to them both. If you do this one, keep the chitchat to a minimum, and do the work of an essay, as well as use the form creatively. Assume that the authors have read each other's work carefully, can cite pages and quotations, and that they are engaged in a purposeful argument over a literary and/or historical topic.
posted by Susan at 9:58 PM
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