Purpose: Further develop your analysis of your chosen short story with a focus on the importance of characterization.
Tasks:
Part 1. Choose a character from one of the short stories in this unit by Roanhorse, Liu, or Rash. Name the character and briefly describe them, considering some of the following elements:
What they are like–how are they described?
What we know about their past and present? Consider their relationships, their environment, their position in society, and their culture.
What do they want? What are their dreams and goals? What do they fear? What drives them?
What do they do? Why? What do we see in the story itself, and what can we infer about them from their behavior?
What do they say? What do they leave unsaid? Why?
What conflicts do they face–both internal and external–and how do they address these conflicts?
Part 2. Consider how taking the approach of psychoanalytic criticism–focusing on the mind, unconscious motives, and the roots of desire–can enhance our analysis of a short story. Feel free to consult the readings from Mary Klages or Michael Ryan on psychoanalytic criticism to help you make these connections.
Part 3. Taking into account all of the above, and reading the Building a Strong Thesis Statement page for guidance, craft a working thesis for your Unit 3 Essay and include it in bold at the end of your post. This is your opportunity to check your progress towards that essay and get feedback at a critical juncture. The thesis should focus on why and how your chosen story from this unit uses specific symbols, metaphors, uses of irony, or characters to depict one of the themes from Unit 1 (Love, Alienation/Otherness, the American Dream/Nightmare, Quest for Identity/Coming of Age, or Conformity/Rebellion) in a particular way.
Part 4. Respond to at least 2 of your classmates’ posts. Your initial post should meet all requirements, and your replies should be thoughtful and substantive.
Grading Criteria:
Your responses to the first 2 question(s) are substantial and thoughtful.
You’ve explored how your story might relate to one of our literary theories.
Your peer responses are substantive and thoughtful and advance the discussion by introducing new insights or perspectives, and/or significantly deepening or broadening the conversation with questions (Avoid generalized comments such as “good post” or “I agree”).
Your use of language: your writing should be clear, well-organized, and free from spelling and grammar errors. The post represents your original thinking unless otherwise indicated.
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