Write a paper about the reading Love & Death.

Writing Assignment Guidelines: Love & Death

The prompt for the final writing assignment is:

As noted in the lecture, "Death in Prose," James Joyce's "The Dead" has been read as offering both an optimistic and pessimistic perspective on Gabriel's epiphany at the end of the story.

For some, Gabriel seems to be genuinely moving away from the self-centered egotism that hindered his interactions with others; for others, the weight of the other stories (including the circularity suggested by "The Sisters") suggests that the paralysis that pervades Dubliners will extend to Gabriel too. Which reading of the end of "The Dead" do you find most compelling in the context of the both the story itself and the Dubliners collection more generally?

Please note: as before, there is not a correct answer to this question. Rather, you are being asked to think about two possible readings of the ending of the story and then to decide, on the basis of textual evidence, which one you find more convincing. Do remember to base your answer on an analysis of the text and to craft your answer in such a way that it makes a clear and compelling case to the reader.

Your answers should be submitted via Turnitin by 11.55 pm on Wednesday 4 May 2016. It should be 250 words. 10% either side is permissible, but pieces that are longer than 275 words, or shorter than 225, are liable to lose one letter grade. This limit applies to the text of your response; it does not include the title or works cited information. (Remember: the point is not simply to write down everything you can think of. Rather, give the topic some thought and decide what your argument is and what the best evidence is you have to support that argument. At that point you should start crafting your response, working out the best way to make and support your argument.)