For this essay, you must select from the two works we have read since the midterm: The Glass Menagerie or The Handmaid’s Tale. Select ONE of the following general themes. You do not have to answer all the questions that follow each theme; they are provided to help inspire thought and generate ideas.
FAMILY: Explore the portrayal of family. Consider the relationships between husbands and wives, parents and children. Do the texts challenge or reinforce stereotypes about the roles of husbands, wives, or children? How do family members love, support, infuriate, and disappoint one another? How does one’s relationship to family affect his/her identity? How does the presentation of family relate to the work’s overall theme?
HEROES/ANTI-HEROES: Traditionally, a hero is a person of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his/her/their brave deeds and noble qualities, while an antihero is ordinary and flawed. Consider what makes protagonists heroic or antiheroic. What makes readers identify with and root for the heroes/anti-heroes? How might the hero/anti-hero’s motivation and/or development underscore the overall message of the work?
FANTASY/REALITY (DISILLUSIONMENT): Explore the way characters use fantasy/illusion/dreams to cope with reality. While all people have dreams and fantasies, might some characters be too dependent on their imagination? Does escape into “fantasy” help or hurt the characters? How? How might this relate to the work’s overall theme?
SEXISM/MISOGYNY: Sexism and misogyny exist when women are not granted the same rights as men, when women are restricted to the domestic sphere, when women are valued primarily for their functionality rather than their humanness. Consider how individuals are affected by sexism and/or misogyny. What are the different roles for women and men, and on what principles are they based? How does the presentation of sexism and misogyny relate to the work’s overall theme?
HOPE: While The Handmaid’s Tale presents a dystopian society based on oppressive power, lack of free speech, and enforced roles, there are glimmers of hope. How does Atwood call attention to the human impulse towards hope and resistance (both physical and psychological)? How might these instances of hope and resistance underscore Atwood’s ideas about the dangers of complacency and the need for individuals to challenge oppressive and sexist structures in society?
SUPPORTIVE SISTERHOOD: One ideal of the women’s movement is that of a “supportive sisterhood” which is the notion that women stick together and support each other. How does The Handmaid’s Tale critique this concept? How does the role separation — which might reduce the burden for women in an ideal feminist vision – actually turn women against women and lead to a lack of mutual support, jealousy, resentment, etc.?
SCAPEGOATS: Almost everyone in Gilead feels isolated, oppressed, miserable, frustrated, and angry. How does the regime turn its people’s unhappiness and anger away from the regime and onto some safe target — a scapegoat? Who are the scapegoats in Gilead? Why do people feel the urge to take out their anger on scapegoats who stand in for the real oppressors? Are Gileadeans encouraged to do so? How might this help those in power maintain their control? What point does Atwood seem to make about misdirected anger and the human desire to find someone to blame?
HYPOCRISY: Hypocrisy is defined as the practice of claiming to have moral standards or beliefs to which one’s behavior does not conform. What types of hypocrisies are present within Gilead? What is the drive behind these hypocrisies? What point does Atwood seem to be making about the people who act in contradiction to their stated beliefs? How do these rampant hypocrisies relate to the novel’s overall theme?
Make sure that your essay has a title, introduction, thesis statement, body, and conclusion. Take particular care when writing your thesis; make sure it clearly states your main point. Your thesis should be an idea that you will support with specific examples from the literary work. Avoid plot summary.
Essay Guidelines
1. Essays must be 4-6 pages.
2. For each day your essay is late, Canvas will reduce your grade by 10%.
3. If you consult any outside sources, you must follow MLA format and include a Works Cited page.
Last Completed Projects
| topic title | academic level | Writer | delivered |
|---|