Discussion 1

Prior to beginning your initial post, read the required materials and review the handouts, Plot, Theme, and Conflict and List of Literary Techniques. In addition, read Chapters 4 through 7 of Journey into Literature and choose a story from the textbook.

Reflect: All stories have a theme that forms the plot. Also, literary elements and techniques contribute to creating and highlighting the theme. Reflect on the theme and literary elements and techniques in the story you have chosen to read.

Write: Your initial post should be at least 200 words in length. The minimum word count does not include references.In this discussion you will

Describe the core conflict represented in the story.

Describe the theme of the story.

Select three literary elements/techniques in the story and describe them.

Explain how the elements/techniques illustrate the theme and conflict expressed in the story.

Incorporate readings found in Chapters 4 through 7 to help illustrate the points you make.

Respond to Peers: Respond to at least two of your classmates' initial posts. Each response should be at least 75 words in length and should address two or more of the following points:

Do you agree with your classmates' perspectives? Why, or why not? Be specific.

Ask a specific question to encourage further discussion on the topic.

Challenge your classmates' interpretation of literature and/or point of view.

Do a small amount of research and share what you learn with your peers about the topic discussed in this post

Discussion 2

Prior to beginning your initial post, read Chapters 4 through 7 of Journey into Literature.

Reflect: In the stories you have read in Chapters 4 through 7, you have been introduced to several kinds of characters. Select another story from your textbook that is different than the one you analyzed in the "Literary Techniques and Their Connection to Conflict in Literature" discussion and identify and consider a character you sympathize with. Reflect on why you identify with them and how that character is constructed by the author.

Write: Your initial post should be at least 200 words in length. The minimum word count does not include references.

As you write your post, answer the following questions:

Identify the character and the literary work he or she appears in.

Why did this character interest you? What choices does the character make, and how do the choices (or the result of the choices) contribute to the theme of the story?

What kind of conflict (internal/external) did this character encounter, and how did he or she handle it?

How does the setting contribute to the character's development?

How does the setting contribute to the character's experience and give the story more meaning?

Incorporate readings found in Chapters 4 through 7 to help illustrate the points you make.

Respond to Peers: Respond to at least two of your classmates' initial posts. Each response should be at least 75 words in length and should address two or more of the following questions:

Did your classmate acknowledge the complexities in the character he or she chose? If so, how so? If not, what should he or she consider?

Are there other conflicts that your classmate should consider? For example, if your classmate primarily discussed a character's external conflicts, offer an internal conflict that the character faces, or vice versa.

Does your classmate adequately connect the character with the setting? Are there details that he or she did not discuss but are important to the story? Why are these details important? Explain to your

Assignment

For this assignment, you will write an annotated bibliography on three sources. For detailed information on how to create your Annotated Bibliography, please see this Sample Annotated Bibliography.

In your Annotated Bibliography, you will

Copy and paste the writing prompt you chose to explore in Week One into a Word Document.

Restate the working thesis you created in Week One below your writing prompt.

In this same document, identify your primary source (your short story) and two secondary, academic sources.

Summarize each source and explain how the source supports your working thesis. These summaries should be 100 to 150 words for each entry.

For the Annotated Bibliography assignment, you will write annotations for three sources. One source should be a primary source. Next, you will choose two secondary sources that are additional to the text.

The two sources you locate must be academic sources and come from peer-reviewed journals or other scholarly publications. For information on finding sources within the Ashford Library, please view the ENG125 - Literature Research tutorial.