Length: 1000-1200 words, double-spaced 12 pt font, on one of the following topics.
Essay topic:
1. Develop an argument on the theme of loss and recovery in Buried Child. Think
of loss in as many ways as possible. What have these characters lost, each individually, and as a group? In what ways do they try to recover from loss or to recover what has been lost (e.g. what do they use or abuse or fabricate in order to substitute for what has been lost, and to what degree are such substitutions successful?). To generate ideas, you might start by thinking of what has been lost in an abstract sense (at the level of ideas, beliefs, and emotions) and follow up by finding specific symbols of this loss (from meaningful statements to specific lost objects or people, etc.). Or you might start by looking closely at all the things that are literally lost, and allowing them to serve you as symbols of more abstract kinds of loss.
-be sure to reach for psychological and philosophical analysis in your essay,
rather than remaining at the concrete or literal level. If you do deal with concrete things or plain statements, be sure to suggest how they mean or refer to more abstract concepts as well. And be sure to find the deeper messages or meanings behind what the characters superficially say and do. Suggest how what they say and do reveals hidden motivations and desires, unspoken struggles and resentments, metaphorical meanings, etc.
Essay writing instructions:
Your essay should be guided by a clear overall argument (thesis) that accounts for the various levels at which your theme or themes appear. But remember to avoid oversimplification. Your thesis should combine clarity with complexity.
Suggestion for first approach: begin by combing the text many times for every appearance of the theme. After noting all the details, look for repetitions and similarities among them, and try to categorize your examples under particular headings (ideas about the theme) that might function as paragraph topics.
The best way to distinguish your essay from others is to include a wealth of specific details and examples—including plenty of short quotations—and to uncover unique parallels and linkages between statements, symbols, images, metaphors, gestures, and stage directions that might go unnoticed on a single reading. Avoid settling for literal descriptions (i.e. of what actually happens); always looks for implied meanings beneath the surface. In the same way, avoid plot summary and general outlines (think of your audience as thoughtful readers who are already familiar with the play). Aim instead to establish guiding concepts or ideas for each paragraph, and to support your argument about these concepts through reference to details that imply several possible meanings at various levels of analysis. (The significance of some details will be clear; others will be ambiguous, confusing, and indeterminate; remember that this kind of ambiguity is a help, not a hindrance; it leads to complex and original thinking). As a rule of thumb, try to include two or three brief examples to explain each point you make, rather than settling for one. Look for repetitions, and for “chains” or “threads” of similar details. This will allow the essay to succeed at the level of close reading and specificity.
One final note: do not organize your paragraphs around single characters or around chronological events. Topic sentences should not be along the lines of “Dodge is a powerful example of decay in the play,” or “In the first act, . . .”. Instead, cover several characters and events under ideas that organize each paragraph.
Last Completed Projects
| topic title | academic level | Writer | delivered |
|---|