ENGL. 101 – Introduction to Short Fiction
Garrett Peck, Instructor
Essay #1 – Suggested Topics
Due date: Monday, July 26th (9:00 AM – g.peck@alexandercollege.ca)
The first essay is to be 500-700 words long. It must be double-spaced, have your name, student number and class information at the top of the page. There are no secondary readings allowed. In order to receive a passing grade, essays must use direct quotation from the stories they are discussing. Failure to do so will result in an essay that is too removed from the story and which only engages in a superficial level of analysis. Successful essays usually include 2-3 short quotations for each body paragraph.
The final essay should have a minimum of 5 paragraphs, including the introduction and conclusion. Please avoid using lengthy, unexamined quotations as this will lower your mark. Lastly, superior essays will go beyond class lecture notes and offer original and well-supported claims of their own. Essays that merely echo class talking points, or reword lecture notes will receive a letter grade no higher than a C. All essays should be formatted according to MLA standards. No Works Cited is needed for this assignment. Any assistance from a WLC tutor (no outside assistance is allowed) must be acknowledged with a tutor form that is submitted with your assignment detailing specifically what form of help was given. Plagiarised essays will receive a grade of “O” and a permanent mark in student files. Please consult your college student guide for more information on Alexander College’s plagiarism policy.
Please select one of the essay topics below, or develop your own AFTER APPROVING YOUR TOPIC WITH YOUR INSTRUCTOR:
- In Luigi Pirandello’s story “War”, the author presents a criticism of nationalism and patriotism. With specific reference to our story, please discuss how Pirandello “humanizes” the catastrophe of World War I and uses individual characters in order to achieve this objective.
- In Guy de Maupassant’s story “An Adventure in Paris,” the author relies on the conflict between fantasy and reality in order to de-romanticize the Bohemian subculture. With specific reference to our story, please discuss how this story can be read as a form of conflict between bourgeois and Bohemian cultural perspectives.
- In Ernest Hemingway’s story “Hills Like White Elephants,” the author focuses on the dialogue between two characters in order to highlight a failure in communication. With specific reference to our story, please discuss how literary minimalism is a useful strategy for highlighting the challenges in communicating effectively.
NOTE: Whatever story you choose to write about for this assignment will not be available to you as an essay choice on the mid-term exam