Topic:

Writers often reveal the values of a culture or a society by using characters who are hurt by that culture or society’s customs, systems, or laws. Choose 2 short stories we have read thus far into the semester in which such characters play a significant role and compare how those characters’ alienation reveals the surrounding societies’ assumptions or values. Compare the way the two stories employ the elements of fiction to develop their themes. Use at least two of the following literary elements: Characterization, Conflict, Point of View, Setting,For shadowing, Imager y, Epiphany, Scapegoat, Symbol, Metaphor , Simile, and Ir ony.

2 short stories:

1- Everyday use by Alice Walker

2- Women Hollering creek by Sandra Cisneros

Further Instruction :

– focus on proving your argument with specific references to the stories you are writing about

– The paper must be a minimum of three complete pages, typed and double-spaced, to a maximum of six complete pages. Use a 10- or 12-point, professional- looking font. Using a larger font will result in a paper that does not meet the length requirements for this assignment. Use 1-inch margins on all sides of the paper. Include your name and the class’s identifying information in the top corner of the first page. Center the title of your paper. Attach a Works Cited that conforms to MLA guidelines to the end of you paper (the Works Cited does not count as one of the three pages of your paper).

– 1. Thesis statement: The paper should have a specific, focused, and effectively-worded thesis statement.poor thesis statement: Jones’s and Smith’s use of the tree as a symbol in their poems is both similar and different. (unfocused and non-specific).

effective thesis: While Jones and Smith both use the tree as a symbol of knowledge, Jones presents the tree as knowledge that improves mankind, and Smith presents the tree as knowledge that leads mankind into evil.

Organization: An essay is comprised of an introductory paragraph with a thesis statement,

body paragraphs, and a conclusion paragraph. Ideas which support the thesis should be divided into logical paragraphs and presented in a logical order. You will find it helpful to begin with an outline of your essay.

Content: I will be looking for ideas and insights which show college-level thinking. Also, I will be looking for the use of lines from the stories which support the opinions you assert about the works. Use you own ideas: a good essay is not a patchwork quilt of critics’ words. Instead of piecing together the words of the critics, use critics to back up your own opinions, or argue against the critics’ opinions. When you borrow the words of critics or any secondary sources, give them credit by citing their words or ideas within the text of your paper. For this assignment, two secondary sources are sufficient.

example of direct quote: One critic states that the tree in Smith’s poem “recalls the Tree of Knowledge from the biblical story of the Garden of Evil: it both opens up new possibilities and brings other possibilities to an irrevocable end” (Allen 52).example of paraphrase: One critic feels that the tree in Smith’s poem is similar to the Tree of Knowledge that appears in the bible because it offers greater knowledge, but it also puts an end to an easier, more childlike life (Allen 52).

4. Grammar and Mechanics: Be sure to proofread and edit your paper. The effective paper will not contain significant grammatical errors, spelling errors, or typos. Follow MLA guidelines for formatting your title page, the text of your paper, and the Works Cited.