American Literature Essay

Writing Options:

Write a 4-page double-spaced analysis paper on ONE of the following options.

Option 1: Over two hundred years ago, Mary Wollstonecraft in A Vindication of the Rights of Women wrote: "It would be an endless task to trace the variety of meannesses, cares, and sorrows into which women are plunged by the prevailing opinion that they were created rather to feel than reason, and that all power they obtain must be obtained by their charms and weakness." Explain this quote and write an essay about how this kind of stereotyping applies to the way women are treated or behave in one of the stories assigned in unit 4.

Option 2: In the best-selling book Iron John, Robert Bly wrote: "We have defective mythologies that ignore masculine depth of feeling...teach obedience to the wrong powers, and entangle men [and women] in systems of...domination." Explain this quote and write an essay about how it applies to the roles of men or women in one of the stories assigned in unit 4.

Mandatory Requirements

o The exam must be 4 double-spaced pages
o There must be a comprehensive use of textual references [from the story] as supporting evidence.
o Your essay must stay within the confines of the writing options, and must not veer off topic unless the information presented is clearly related to your writing option. You are limited to the choices specified in the instructions above. Any deviation will result in a 2 letter grade deduction.
o Your essay must be rhetorically sound. It must contain an introduction with a clear thesis statement. It must have a well-developed body that proves the thesis using supporting evidence from the reading. It must contain a conclusion that recaps the key points and restates the thesis. Your essay must also be free of spelling/grammatical errors.
o The essay must have a title that reflects the thesis [Guilt and Remorse in James Baldwin's Sonny's Blues]
o Use 3rd person unless the option requests personal experience.