Sunday, September 9, 2012

Phase 2 Writing Prompts for Sept. 17

Did you know that Lubbock is home to many different kinds of egrets and herons? I recommend visiting the many parks in town that have bodies of water in them. You are bound to catch a snowy egret during the daytime stretching its black legs and orange feet, and you can nearly always spot black-crowned night heron hunched over the waters' shores at dusk. There are many birds beside the ubiquitous grackles and pigeons here, I promise!
Here are the writing prompts for Phase 2. Don't forget to post your 500–750-word reading responses by 9:00 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 17. As always, I am available during office hours and via email if you need any advice during the writing process. The Writing Center is also a valuable resource; they are open 9:00 to 5:00, MWF, on the first floor of the Philosophy building next door.

Prompt 1: Sarah Orne Jewett's "A White Heron" and Alice Walker's "A Memory" both deal with the idea of perspective. The girl in "A White Heron" experiences quite different perspectives from the other characters in the short story, and the narrator in "A Memory" frequently points out the unique perspective of her past self. Compare and contrast the types of perspective in these two short stories: how is the idea of perspectives dealt with differently in both stories? What do the characters' perspectives tell us about the kind of characters they are? What do these perspectives have to do with the overall themes of both stories?

Consider, if desired, researching biographical information on Jewett and Walker and on the different time periods, cultures, and settings in which they wrote their stories.

Prompt 2: Sarah Orne Jewett's "A White Heron" has often been compared to fairy tales like "Little Red Riding Hood" and others. Do you agree that this story could be read as a fairy tale, with the hunter, the heron, the grandmother, the tree, and the girl (among other characters) taking on mythical significance? For your response, compare and contrast "A White Heron" with another fairy tale with a similar setting, plot, or characters, and identify in what ways the tales use similar literary elements or techniques to produce very different overall themes. Be sure to include in your discussion what you think Jewett's overall themes are in "A White Heron," and why a fairy tale model was an effective vehicle for communicating these themes.

Consider, if desired, researching biographical information on Jewett as well as background and historical information on the fairy tale you choose to compare with "A White Heron." Discuss in your response the different historical and cultural contexts of both the fairy tale and "A White Heron."

Prompt 3: Guy de Maupassant's "Mother Savage" illustrates the seemingly ambivalent way that people can go from "enemy" to "neutral" to "friend." Identify, illustrate, and discuss one or two literary devices that Maupassant uses to illustrate this ambivalence. Be sure to connect what this ambivalence between "friend" and "enemy" has to do with the story's overall theme/s.

Consider, if desired, researching biographical information on Maupassant and on the different time period, culture, and setting in which he wrote "Mother Savage" or other works.

Already have an idea of what you want to write about? Great! Go for it. I do require that you email me in advance your thesis statement or the question of your own that you want to answer. This way, I can give you helpful feedback concerning scope and depth, and you can rest assured that you are on the right track for this assignment.

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