Tolstoy, Leo. The Death of Ivan Ilyich: Appearance vs. Reality

Select ONE of the following topics for your analytical essay. Refer to the Essay Guidelines posted at the Blackboard site and adhere to the rules and suggestions given there. Your essay should be 3.5-5 pages (3.5 FULL pages...all the way to the bottom of the page). You will not receive any credit for an essay that does not meet the three and a half full page minimum. It should be written in MLA formatting. Submit your completed essay back through the assignment. Your essay should be double spaced and no bigger than 12 pt font.

Remember, you want to have a thesis for your paper (in the introductory paragraph). Your thesis is the point you are trying to convince the reader to consider. You do not want to just say, "In this paper the reader will...." You want to have a point to argue. Make sure that you provide an argument by using your supporting points and ideas. DO NOT just retell the story. Always assume that the reader knows the story, so there is no need to retell it. If you have any questions as to if your thesis is an argument or if you are "writing in the right direction," please email me.

An example of a thesis (that is an argument) from my favorite novel ever would be, "Atticus Finch was a man who would not compromise on what was right, even though the community in which he lived did not want to hear the truth." (To Kill a Mockingbird)

CHOOSE ONE TOPIC:

· In Tartuffe and The Death of Ivan Ilyich, there are situations that point toward dysfunctional families. Analyze the roles of the various characters in the individual plays, and then compare and contrast the families in the two plays. You do not have to analyze and discuss each character. Just look at the dominant ones. You might feel that there is a child that needs to be discussed individually, or you may just want to lump the children together. You want to create a strong argument (aka thesis) in your introductory paragraph. Make sure you use citations from the plays to support your argument. Please ask if you have questions as you consider writing about this topic.

Both "A Modest Proposal" and Tartuffe address and satirize similar underlying issues. Some of these issues were religion (the Church), politics, gender equality, and familial roles. Analyze the use of satire in both pieces. Is it more clear in one than the other? How does each author satirize the points that he is trying to show the reader? Compare and contrast the authors' viewpoints about these issues mentioned and/or others you might see. Remember, as long as you can use you can use the text to back your thoughts up, then you have a solid argument, so don't sell yourself short on this one. As a final thought, travel back in time a bit and consider the consumers of this time period as they read these pieces. Does one seem as if it would have gone over better with the public? Is there one that might have made a stronger impact? You do not have to answer these questions directly, but they are designed to get you thinking as you compare and contrast how the public might have reacted to both of these pieces.

· In "Confessions" we read about a man's life and experiences from childhood through adulthood. It is not difficult to see that Rousseau wanted to be recognized, appreciated, loved, and needed. Based on your reading, discuss the evidence of these needs that you have found. Share your thoughts as to whether any of these desires were ever achieved. Support your thoughts based on the reading. Read the brief biography of Rousseau in your textbook. You may cite information here to support your argument in the essay. Make sure your argument (thesis statement) tells the reader what you want him or her to consider while reading your essay.

· Your literary essay should analyze an aspect of the Appearance versus Reality motif found throughout The Death of Ivan Ilyich. Make sure you develop an arguable thesis. Don't just state that Tolstoy uses an "appearance vs reality" theme in his novel. That just tells the reader something. You want to make the reader analyze your point or argument. Here are a few questions to get you thinking (don't just answer these and consider that your essay though). What does he use the theme to accomplish? What is the message that he is trying to convey? Does he succeed? The majority of your essay should be your thoughts and citations from the text to back it up. If a situation today suddenly comes to mind though, feel free to include a modern day example. Just make sure it is concise and does not become the bulk of your essay.