Read the following selections from The Art of Work:

o "True Stories and Other Dreams" by Judy Collins (pp. 131-136)
o "Pablo Picasso: Living in His Own Shadow" by Ellen Goodman (pp. 197-199)
o "The Country of Everyday: Literary Criticism" by Tom Wayman (pp. 250-252)
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• Read this week's Electronic Reserve Readings.


Individual Assignment: Comparing Narrative in Fiction and Nonfiction

The fictional stories and many of the nonfiction essays read for this class use narrative techniques: both genres tell stories. However, the two genres use narrative very differently.

• Resources: Assigned readings, ERRs, the Internet, and other sources

• Select one or more fictional stories and one or more essays from your textbooks and compare. In an essay of 1,050 to 1,400 words, contrast how they use narrative.

• Analyze in what ways and on what topics a fictional narrative may be superior for discussing workplace themes and in which ways and on what a nonfiction narrative may be superior. Make sure you describe why this is the case. Any outside sources used must be cited according to APA standards.

This comparison is facilitated by selecting works related in some way: works that share a theme, a type of character, a situation, an ethical problem, and the like. Be specific in the analysis of story elements. 

• Discuss how essays and fictional stories differ in characterization, plot, story line, suspense, language use, setting, point of view, presentation of theme, and in the integration of other literary elements discussed in this course. As you make these comparisons, consider the following points:

o What shapes your emotional response to the stories in each work?
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o In a nonfiction work, the author must establish him or herself as credible. What takes the place of this need in fiction? How does this difference in narrative strategies relate to what is communicated about workplace themes?
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o Fiction is often intended to entertain the reader more than is the case in nonfiction. How are narratives used differently for entertainment purposes and for persuasive purposes in essays? How does the element of entertainment in either genre relate to the communication of serious messages about the workplace?
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o How do facts and narrative relate?
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o Consider where the theme of each work is introduced and how explicitly it is unveiled.